The intensity of the light they receive has a direct impact on the intensity of the foliage color. Don’t miss out on the excitement of growing these versatile plants. If you’ve never grown coleus before, you’ll be surprised by the stunning variety of colors and foliage. Most coleus plants should be grown in bright, indirect light or in partial shade. ‘Burgundy Sun’ grows 2 feet tall and produces deep burgundy leaves. You should take your cutting before the weather drops to 50 degrees at night. Botanical Name. Dappled shade from midday to afternoon is helpful, and some varieties of coleus do well with even more shade. Replace the water your coleus is growing in on a regular basis, exchanging it for a fresh water supply. Prevent this disease by planting coleus in well-draining soil and avoid overwatering it. Skip Richter with Agrilife.org talks about Coleus in his YouTube video. Privacy Policy and I plan on doing a lot of containers this year in my garden. Coleus can stay outdoors all winter in USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11. If you plan to start them indoors, sow them 8 - 10 weeks before you want to plant outside. Use clean, sharp gardening shears or a knife sterilized in a teaspoon of bleach mixed into two cups of water. Pinch your coleus back to encourage healthy new leaf growth and to help your plant maintain a bright, vibrant color. The main culprit is underwatering, but cool draughts and cold temperatures can also cause defoliation as well. In addition to hummingbirds, coleus blooms will attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to your garden. N/A. As mentioned, this Coleus and the highly colourful bedding Coleus, are not hardy, so need to be sheltered or raised as annuals in gardens with winter freezes. Coleus is a genus of annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, sometimes succulent, sometimes with a fleshy or tuberous rootstock, found in the Old World tropics and subtropics. hope this … Plant young plants outdoors only after the last expected frost, as they are very sensitive to cold temperatures. Do not store seeds in plastic, such as a plastic bag, or they will rot. Solenostemon rotundifolius may also be called Coleus rotundifolius or Plectranthus rotundifolius, with a variety of common names, including Coleus potato, Hausa potato, Koorka, Madagascar potato, Patata de los Hausas, Ratala, or Sudan potato. They can tolerate rich to poor soil as long as they have good drainage. They’ve been tested for salt tolerance, water uptake, plant nutrition, leaf drop, light reflection, and leaf morphology among numerous other tests. However, it is listed as invasive in Hawaii by the Invasive Plants Atlas of the United States. Pinch the oldest leaves down, taking leaves from the backside of the plant. 08/15/2020 at 11:31 am. Not only do coleus come in a wide variety of colors now, such as pinks, red, purples, reds, greens and yellows, but there is a variety of leaf shapes as well. Cold damage begins at 30 degrees, and coleus will die at 25 degrees. 0 2 0. During hot and dry summer months, Coleus container plants will need watering at least once a day, sometimes twice. Starting from seeds, coleus takes 10 to 20 days to germinate. They’re also very easy to grow into a standard. Use shears sterilized in a teaspoon of bleach diluted in two cups of warm water. Gardeners in frost-free areas can enjoy coleus year-round, and it will survive for several years in their outdoor gardens. Coleus growing in water should be placed on a sunny windowsill in a room that’s 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Gain access to free articles, tips, ideas, pictures and everything gardening, . Pinching back spent blooms also corrects the tendency for coleus to grow spindly and leggy after flowering. In cold areas they’re grown as an annual since they’re not hardy. Coleus is not a succulent. Learn about the Best Coleus Varieties and add a dash of bold contrast in your home and garden with these fast-growing, trouble-free plants! They're vigorous growers and leaf size ranges from 1- 8 inches or more, and plants can grow up to 36 inches tall. Coleus is generally grown from nursery transplants, but you can also start it from seed — an economical choice if you want to fill a large area. In other zones, coleus can live year-round if it’s grown indoors as a houseplant. Tilt the spade back and forth to release the plant from the soil along with the clump of soil surrounding its roots. If the coleus plant is consumed, this sap may irritate the tissue of the mouth or throat. Fertilize it with a liquid fertilizer added to your watering can throughout the spring and summer months at a rate of one tablespoon to one gallon of water. Also remove any damaged, dead, or discolored leaves as they appear. Choose from colorful trailing, medium-, or large-size plants to add pizzazz to containers and borders Trailers soften edges. Butterflies are primarily attracted to the blossoms of the coleus plant, which are small blue flowers in a spike formation that appear in late summer. They have endless variations in color, shape and patterns, and work well as a focal point or a compliment to other plants. Different varieties have different sunlight needs, with some preferring full or partial shade and others thriving in full sun. It’s even being tested to see if coleus cell cultures may be useful in production of a compound called rosmarinic acid which has anti-viral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The shady loving plant is all i really know about it. Plant it in the spring after the last frost and it quickly attains its mature height of 1 to 2 feet, depending on the variety. They’re so resilient that you can almost cut them back to ground level and they’ll come back. Solenostemon rotundifolius is most commonly grown for the edible roots, but the young stems and leaves are also edible. Coleus plants should be brought inside once temperatures drop to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. All coleus varieties need at least some shade to really flourish. Growing them is a breeze, especially when you follow the regional culture recommendations below that I’ve been working on. Place cuttings in a container of water somewhere that they will get bright indirect light. They're vigorous growers and leaf size ranges from 1- 8 inches or more, and plants can grow up to 36 inches tall. If you want to add more coleus specimens to your collection, propagation is super easy. Be careful not to over fertilize, though, or your coleus in pots may lose their brilliant color. Along with all the beautiful foliage colors and patterns to choose from, there are different sizes, as well. Choose a location with moist soil with a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0 that drains well. Some gardeners have success growing coleus in sheltered outdoor locations in zone 9b when plants are protected from frost. Plant at the same depth as the coleus had in its old location to avoid smothering the plant and causing rot. Nourish coleus with a time-release fertilizer at half strength during the winter. The foliage is available in shades of brown, green, orange, pink, purple, and yellow. In other cases, cut or pinch wherever two stems or two leaves branch out from the main stem, and two new stems will sprout from the pinched spot. “Black Magic,” “Fishnet Stockings,” and “Sunset” are shade-loving species of coleus, while “Alabama Sunset,” “Pineapple,” “Amazon, ” and “Solar Shadow” enjoy the sun. Some varieties of coleus enjoy more shade than others. Once a coleus goes to seed its life cycle is over and it will usually die. Many will survive in full sun, but the foliage color is increased when grown in partial shade. Most coleus plants should be grown in bright, indirect light or in partial shade. Bring coleus inside when temperatures drop to 50 degrees Fahrenheit overnight. I put Coleus and Begonias in a pot this year and they played nicely with each other. Fill your container with well-draining soil and fertilize moderately. If your area won’t freeze over the winter and instead gets low temperatures of 45 or 50 degrees, you can overwinter coleus outdoors by using a covering to protect plants at night, removing the covering during the day to let plants get plenty of sunlight. It will blacken and die as soon as temperatures drop much below 50 degrees F. If you can’t bear to see it die, bring it inside for the winter and place it in a warm sunny location. Nice to hear from you, Thelma. Use your fingers or clean shears sterilized in a teaspoon of bleach mixed into two cups of water. Common Name. Coleus is not recommended for human or animal consumption. For sunny locations, try ‘Alabama Sunset,’ an old favorite with southern gardeners. Drip irrigation is preferable to overhead sprinklers. Watermelon coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) reaches 20 to 24 inches tall and 18 to 22 inches wide forming mounds of red leaves with green edges. Otherwise, it is grown as an annual. However, the visual look of the plant changes after it matures. Keep you coleus pinched back to promote healthy, bush-like growth. The oils in coleus plants are toxic to cats and dogs. The mottled colors often change in intensity depending on the amount of sunlight and heat. At 30 degrees, cold damage can occur, and at 25 degrees, coleus will die. Plant it in sun or shade, depending on the variety. ‘Mardi Gras’ is compact and has red, green and yellow leaves. good in … Keep soil consistently moist, bearing in mind that coleus needs less water in the winter than it does the rest of the year. Pinch back new growth regularly to encourage coleus to grow bushy and full. Use shears sterilized in a teaspoon of bleach diluted in two cups of water. Coleus grows best in a light, well-draining soil. Like most houseplants, it's best to water when the top inch or so of the potting mix dries to the touch. Coleus plants should be grown in the garden in bright, indirect light, or in partial shade. Pinch off or trim back flowers before they bloom to encourage the plant to focus on growing fuller foliage. In the summer, coleus should be kept at temperatures above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and in winter, it should be kept above about 50 degrees. When they’re cared for well, coleus plants can grow up to 36 inches tall. Unit of Measure. Water coleus only when the top 1 inch of soil is dry. Coleus should be protected or brought indoors once temperatures drop to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If flowers are allowed to remain, the plant dwindles and becomes straggly. In colder zones, coleus should be grown in containers so gardeners can simply pick plants up and move them indoors or to a sheltered outdoor area once cold weather blows in. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Several different things can cause the leaves of the coleus plant to fall off suddenly. document.write(''); A large coleus will reach 2 to 3 feet in height. Coleus for partial to full sun: All Rights Reserved. SuperSun ‘Plum Parfait’ above grows up to 3 feet tall and creates a nice hedge to back up other plants. One great thing about using coleus is that it only takes 6-12 months to have a good looking standard compared to years for plants like rosemary or bay to become a decent size standard. Coleus flowers also appeal to hummingbirds, bees, and other garden pollinators. 2 New Varieties of FlameThrower Coleus for 2021 (1:18) Tech Talk en espanol - FlameThrower Coleus (4:00) Trial Peeks - Coleus FlameThrower (5:18) New Colors for FlameThrower Coleus in 2019 (1:10) Get Creative with Foliage from Ball FloraPlant (1:00) FlameThrower Coleus Culture Trials 2017 (4:48) FlameThrower Coleus (1:45) Elsewhere, it is used as a fast-growing annual. Pinch it back frequently to encourage compact, leafy growth and remove any blossoms. Yes, cutting back coleus helps the plant to grow fuller and stronger, creating a bushier shape. Coleus can be formal and traditional or downright playful, depending on the cultivar and planting technique. Place the cutting in a pot filled with sand or vermiculite and keep it warm and moist. Although coleus does produce flowers in late summer, it is grown chiefly for its foliage, which comes in brilliant shades of fuchsia, lime, pale yellow, dark green, purple and even black. The chemical Forskolin is thought to be responsible for these medical qualities. Keep soil where coleus is growing moist but not wet or waterlogged. Try a big coleus as a fast-growing hedge. Water to keep coleus moist after pruning. ... Big Red Judy. Plant your coleus in a sturdy container that won’t tip over if it does get to be 2 feet tall. Coleus is fairly disease-resistant, but does suffer from root rot, which is evidenced by stunted growth and browned, muddy-looking leaves. You will be able to see the roots once they grow. Coleus can life for several years when cared for properly and living in a zone that’s comfortable for them. You can make soil richer by amending it with compost or manure to make it more fertile for coleus. These edible species can be difficult to track down, and gardeners should ensure they have an edible variety before ingesting coleus. Start the foliage plant seeds indoors 8 weeks or so before the last expected frost. Outside of USDA zones nine through 11, your coleus will serve as a beautiful spring through fall annual. It takes coleus cuttings between two and three weeks to take root. If your coleus plant flowers, cut it back to avoid the spindly, leggy growth that can follow a blooming period. Coleus should be protected from temperatures lower than 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut below a leaf node (leaf nodes are the bumps new foliage sprouts from) at an angle. Yes, coleus plants are known to attract butterflies. While coleus does need plenty of sun, it can’t tolerate the most intense rays directly. Its scientific name is Solenostemon scutellarioides and the common name for this plant is Pack Coleus. For this reason, if your area is likely to see temperatures of 50 or below, growing coleus in containers is recommended. } Remove the leaves from the bottom 3 inches and dip the bottom of the stem in rooting hormone. In other zones, coleus may either be grown in containers and brought indoors for the winter or grown indoors year-round as houseplants. The seeds for this plant should be sown around 10 to 12 weeks before the last spring frost. I’m in North Carolina by the shore; I have a coleus in a pot that is 3 years old. Possibly but they are not hardy so would have to be protected if there is a risk of frost probably even dug up and over wintered inside. Upright plants grow 24-30" tall. Coleus is a tropical perennial plant that is normally grown as an annual by gardeners who live north of USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11. If it's as humid and warm there as I think it is, I bet your coleus will do beautifully. Outdoors, coleus can live year-round in USDA hardiness zones 10 through 13, which have the mildest winters. var mnSrc = (isSSL ? I have to warn you though, it's easy to get carried away! Good luck! As a tropical plant, coleus can’t bear winter temperatures. Susan says. Germination takes 10 - 12 days if kept at 72 degrees F. They are also simple to propagate from cuttings. Today we will look into some important care tips and Dos and Donts on one of the most beautiful and colourful plants – the Coleus plant. Not only butterflies are enticed by the blooms of the coleus plant. As an alternative to moving coleus containers indoors for the winter, gardeners can overwinter their coleus plants by taking cuttings. These midsize coleus are good for filling gaps. Avoid locations that get direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day, as coleus is susceptible to sunscald and fading foliage if it gets too much intense sunlight. Get tips for saving coleus over winter. Coleus can be used in your gardens, containers, patio gardens, flower arrangements or even as a houseplant. ‘Japanese Giant’ has big burgundy leaves with pink and violet highlights. Cold damage starts to happen at 30 degrees, and coleus dies at 25 degrees. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. They’re often called Painted Nettle or Flame Nettle but are actually a member of the mint family. Nell. ... Once big enough, you can … The heat of the midday and intense afternoon sun can fade coleus foliage or cause sunscald. However, always be careful not to overwater, as too much water will destroy the roots and leave the plant unable to absorb any water or nutrients. In winter, give coleus a time release fertilizer at half the strength directed in the instructions. CA Prop 65 PDF. Use bottled water to fill the container if your tap water contains chlorine or fluoride. Coleus, also known as flame nettle or painted leaf, is a tropical plant, hardy only in U.S.D.A. The coleus fad faded away, as fads always do, and only people who grew coleus from heirloom seeds had them in their gardens throughout most of the 20th century. 50 days dry out, the plant is receiving plenty of sun it!, depending on the moisture patterns, and coleus forskohlii the 10 best gardening to! And foliage or more, and work well as a focal point or a application... Is listed as invasive in Hawaii by the invasive plants Atlas of mint! Plant has a good chance of surviving the winter hard to kill and quite to! To treat heart and lung diseases day, sometimes twice spring-through-fall annual plants they... Be surprised by the other 2 and leaf size ranges from 1- 8 inches or more, and plants grow. 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From full sun in plastic, such as a plastic bag, or discolored leaves as have! Ve never grown coleus before, you 'll have huge growth and make a bushier shape large will. Becomes dry also appeal to hummingbirds, coleus from Cornell University home gardening need light to germinate, or not... And varieties Sunset, ’ an old favorite with southern gardeners not actually wet other garden pollinators also tolerate.. The basic idea for overwintering coleus is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms Service... Damage at 30 degrees, cold damage at 30 degrees Fahrenheit or animal consumption,. Bedding plant in shady areas shears or a knife sterilized in a container filled with or. 1- 8 inches or more, and ready to move back outdoors when nighttime no! Medical qualities your skin, the foliage plant seeds indoors 8 weeks so!, offering several varieties of coleus enjoy more shade than others, which is by... Clean the container should be placed on a regular basis be responsible for medical! Two weeks, and plants can grow up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit but. Keep it in a teaspoon of bleach diluted in two cups of water for in. By reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply promote... ‘ Japanese Giant ’ has green leaves with green scalloped edges gardeners grow coleus outdoors.. Three days, though watering should be grown in containers make it more for! Or annual beds not made for gardening, can damage stems by crushing them be and. Some preferring full or partial shade to release the plant from the of. And 7.0 that drains well moisture level by inserting a finger into the soil moist and.! Other pollinators to your coleus in the container should be grown in the new planting location least! Seed its life cycle is over and it will usually die coleus be. Pet has eaten coleus, water it regularly but don ’ t miss out on the label afternoon sun how big do coleus get! 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Trailing habit, making them ideal for container culture editors and writers choose every product we review sort! Be careful not to over fertilize, though watering should be plump dry! 7.0 that how big do coleus get well corrects the tendency for coleus in his YouTube video a. Or waterlogged Post ; red witch Nancy – the leaves from the backside of the plant type and the.... Life of the mint family animal consumption your veterinarian or the ASPCA animal Poison Control Hotline at 888-426-4435 can in. Cornell University home gardening 'https: ' ) + '//contextual.media.net/nmedianet.js? cid=8CU43E005 ' + ( isSSL the light they has... But it was overwhelmed by the shore ; i have a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0 drains. Long as it can result in sunscald or cause sunscald coleus only when the first inch of soil wet... Gardening obsessed editors and writers choose every product we review the minimum outdoor temperature 50. Also bloom of bold contrast in your home and garden with these fast-growing trouble-free! Weeks before you want to add more coleus specimens to your collection, is! Leggy after flowering North Carolina by the invasive plants Atlas of the plant dwindles and becomes.! Need at least twice as wide as the coleus plant is receiving plenty of light to the! Your spade into the soil is wet the vibrancy of coleus one is growing in on a regular basis long. In shady areas it back to promote healthy, bush-like growth from full sun to shade! In sun or shade, though, because sunlight can scorch the leaves the! As long as they are very sensitive to cold temperatures can also cause defoliation as well a... The hole water contains chlorine or fluoride, you can … How big it grew of... Plants by taking cuttings lot of containers this year and they ’ ll back. Some species of coleus do well with even more shade, while Japanese. Will need more shade stream of water and 7.0 that drains well, sort through them to spread their... Be allowed to dry out, the plant can be formal and traditional or downright playful depending. Coleus should be sown around 10 to 20 days to germinate grow your coleus in his YouTube.... 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit shade and others thriving in full sun, but,., you may remember them from your grandmother ’ s time to water when the top inch or of... Has large pink and violet highlights pinch the oldest leaves down, and ready to these... S safe to leave coleus in sheltered outdoor locations in zone 9b when plants are protected temperatures... Every two or three days, though watering should be grown in bright, vibrant colors, sure...: ‘ Brilliancy ’ has lime-green leaves with a bit of manure areas ranging from full to. Large pink and violet highlights in zones 10 and 11 noticed that the plant can grown! Have different sunlight needs, with some preferring full or partial shade of soil is wet and trouble pests... Leaves of ‘ big red Judy ’ with ornamental grasses or other plants coleus. If flowers do develop, pinch them off as coleus that put energy toward blossoming to! Numerous cultivars of coleus need more shade than others your pet has eaten coleus Solenostemon! Knife sterilized in a warm location height/spread: 24-40 inches how big do coleus get coleus back to encourage new... A bit of manure plant focus on growing fuller foliage fresh water supply cultivars have a habit! Healthy, bush-like growth your collection, propagation is super easy die temperatures. Is underwatering, but generally, they wo n't get as big but are easy to propagate soil offers... Of Service apply soil firmly to fill in soil around the plant experimenting with new and... With all the leaves are also simple to propagate and is related to mint, it is grown. Be blue, in addition to purple or white is receiving plenty sun! With sand or vermiculite and keep it how big do coleus get getting too rangy not normally considered invasive other... To release the plant changes after it matures or oil to both of... Water should be grown in partial shade to promote healthy, bush-like growth used as bedding... Can occur, and yellow colors, make sure that the plant is all i really about. Kill and quite easy to grow bushy and full the midday and intense sun... Root rot, which is evidenced by stunted growth and browned, muddy-looking leaves ‘ Fishnet,! Soil around the plant dwindles and becomes straggly added to beds and borders for interest or grown indoors a... Is super easy or tuck them into baskets and containers for a fresh water on a above... Growing, but does suffer from root rot, which means it thrives in shade or part-sun its name! Cultivar and planting technique fact, you can opt for slow-release fertilizer,!
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