Coleus

Sun

Partial shade or bright filtered light suits most varieties. Some tolerate full sun with adequate moisture; follow the variety's label and protect shade-grown plants from sudden exposure to strong afternoon sun.

Water

Keep evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water when the surface begins to dry; containers may need daily watering in hot weather.

Soil

Fertile, moisture-retentive soil with good drainage; use a free-draining multipurpose potting mix in containers.

Height

1-3 ft (0.3-0.9 m), depending on variety

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m), depending on variety

Foliage

Evergreen. Soft, opposite, toothed leaves in combinations of green, lime, yellow, cream, pink, red, burgundy and purple; leaf shape and markings vary widely.

Growth

Fast in warm weather

Care needed

Medium

• Plant outdoors only after frost risk has passed and nights are consistently above 10°C (50°F).
• Water the soil thoroughly when its surface starts to dry; do not leave pots standing in water.
• Feed container plants every two to four weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser at the label rate.
• Apply a thin organic mulch around border plants to retain moisture, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Bring plants indoors before cold autumn nights if you want to keep them, or save small plants from cuttings.

Pruning. Pinch out growing tips just above a pair of leaves during spring and summer to encourage bushy growth. Remove flower spikes as they appear if foliage is your priority, and shorten leggy shoots while the plant is actively growing.

Late winter

Sow seed indoors with warmth and bright light if raising plants from seed.

Spring

Pot on rooted cuttings or seedlings and pinch out their tips once established.

Late spring

Gradually acclimatise plants to outdoor conditions, then plant out after frost risk has passed and nights are warm.

Summer

Check container moisture frequently, feed regularly and pinch out unwanted flower spikes.

Late summer

Take non-flowering stem cuttings to keep favourite plants for the following year.

Autumn

Move saved plants indoors before cold nights; discard outdoor plants damaged by frost.

Winter

Keep overwintered plants in a bright, warm, frost-free position and reduce watering without letting the root ball dry out.

• Combine contrasting leaf colours in patio pots for colour that does not depend on flowering.
• Use compact varieties as edging along warm-season beds or sheltered paths.
• Plant lime or cream-marked forms beneath taller plants in bright shade to lighten the planting.
• Mix burgundy and red forms with cannas and ornamental grasses for a bold summer border.
• Use trailing varieties at the edges of hanging baskets and raised containers.

Garden styles it suits: Tropical, Modern tropical, Victorian, Modern courtyard, Hot border and Small-space.

Plant it with: Begonias, Impatiens, Caladiums, Cannas, Sweet potato vine and Fuchsias.

Wildlife: Flower spikes can provide nectar for bees and other insects if left to develop. Removing all flower spikes eliminates that benefit.

• Aphids, whiteflies and spider mites: inspect shoot tips and leaf undersides, isolate affected indoor plants, and use insecticidal soap labelled for the pest if washing them off is insufficient.
• Slugs and snails: protect young outdoor plants with barriers or locally approved slug bait, and remove hiding places nearby.
• Root or stem rot: improve drainage, empty saucers and let the soil surface begin to dry between waterings; discard badly rotted plants.
• Scorched or bleached leaves: move plants out of strong afternoon sun and acclimatise them gradually to brighter conditions.

Keep leaves and stems away from cats and dogs: ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and drooling, and contact may irritate the skin. Toxicity in horses is not well established, so do not allow grazing or put clippings in their feed. In people, ingestion may cause mild stomach upset and the sap can irritate sensitive skin; serious poisoning is not generally expected.

• Perilla (Perilla frutescens)

  Perilla commonly has plain green or purple, strongly aromatic leaves, rather than the broad range of multicoloured patterns found in coleus.

• Polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya)

  Its smaller leaves have scattered pink, white or red spots and mostly smooth edges; coleus usually has more obviously toothed edges and larger blocks or bands of colour.

• Painted-leaf begonia (Begonia rex-cultorum)

  Begonia leaves are asymmetrical at the base and grow alternately, often on long stalks; coleus leaves occur in opposite pairs on branching stems.

Coleus comes from the Greek word for sheath, referring to the stamens being joined into a sheath-like structure.

Propagation. Take soft stem cuttings in spring or summer, cutting just below a node and removing the lower leaves. Root them in water or moist propagation mix in warmth and bright indirect light. Seed is also easy to raise, but seedlings may not match the parent; cuttings preserve a variety's foliage.

Accepted botanical name

Coleus scutellarioides

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Hawaii, the lower 48 states, Pacific Basin, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands.

Native range

Bismarck Archipelago, Borneo, Cambodia, China Southeast, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto and New Guinea.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.