by Kimberley A. Willis

Created on: August 26, 2009

Growing Coleus, Continuous Color for Shady Places

For continuous color in the shade nothing beats coleus. This easy to care for plant with a wide range of colors and leaf forms is a must for every shade gardener. And coleus color doesn't have to end when cold weather comes because coleus makes an excellent houseplant. Coleus are fine plants for collectors, since there are hundreds of varieties on the market.

In Victorian times coleus was known as Painted Nettles or Flame Nettles. Coleus has suffered in this century from a confusion of name changes and misnamed plants. You may see the Latin name of coleus listed as Coleus blumei in older texts, but the correct Latin name for most ornamental coleus is now Solenostemon scutellarioides, although some other species of Solenostemon have been used to produce newer varieties. To add to this, coleus is a plant that produces new color variations constantly and different nurseries may have plants with different names that are virtually indistinguishable.

The leaves of coleus come in every color except blue, and just about any combination of colors. Originally coleus leaves were broadly oval with toothed edges, however there are now tiny, oval leaves, huge, broad leaves, frilly scalloped leaves, lobed leaves and a number of other leaf variations. A common color pattern is for coleus leaves to have a band or row of dots of a contrasting color along the edges of the leaves, but some leaves are solid colors or randomly splashed with color. The stems of coleus are square and coleus plants do produce spikes of tiny flowers, usually lavender, from time to time.

Growing Coleus

Coleus is easy to grow from seed or cuttings. Sow coleus seeds in a warm spot about 6 -8 weeks before the last frost in your area. Coleus seed needs light to germinate so don't cover the seeds, just press them lightly into the seed-starting medium. The seeds usually germinate in about 10 days. Give the baby coleus plants time to develop before you decide if they are colorful enough for you, as the color changes with age. Seed grown coleus is somewhat variable, and if you want a coleus plant looks exactly like one you admire, you can always take a cutting. Coleus roots easily from tip cuttings, either in soil or water.

Coleus is very cold sensitive, so don't plant it outside until after your last frost. If you want to bring plants inside for the winter bring them in before temperatures go below 40 degrees. Inside, coleus needs a warm room

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