Coleus, made popular as Victorian-era bedding plants, have made a huge comeback thanks to the all-season color the lovely foliage offers, whether it’s planted in full sun or shade. Coleus plants have square stems and leaves situated directly opposite one another. They produce insignificant tiny blue to white flowers that are often pinched off to conserve energy. The foliage varies widely in shape, style, and color, and new colors and patterns are introduced regularly.
Planted outdoors in early spring, coleus quickly spreads and grows to full size in a single season. Large swaths of assorted coleus plantings in a landscape or garden bed take on a quilt-like appearance and vividly colored foliage adds a decorative touch to window boxes, outdoor container gardens, and hanging baskets. Since coleus is usually grown as an annual, these plants only live a year outdoors, but indoors the plant can last several seasons. Coleus is toxic to pets.1
Common Name Coleus
Botanical Name Plectranthus scutellarioides
Family Lamiaceae
Plant Type Herbaceous perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Mature Size 6-36 in. tall and wide
Sun Exposure Part shade to full shade
Soil Type Rich, moist, loose soil, well-drained
Soil pH Slightly acidic to neutral (6.0 to 7.0)
Bloom Time Seasonal
Flower Color Blue to white
Hardiness Zones 10-11 (USDA); grown as an annual everywhere
Native Area Asia
Toxicity Toxic to animals
Types of Coleus
There are hundreds of coleus plant varieties available with various colors, leaf textures, and patterns. Additional cultivars are developed each year, and garden centers tend to focus on a select popular few. Shop several different places to find more unique varieties. Some types to look for include:
Wizard series: These are small 12- to 14-inch plants in standard color mixes and can be easy to grow from seeds.
Kong series: These coleus varieties have huge 6-inch leaves on big 2-foot tall plants and are sensitive to direct sunlight.
‘Black Dragon’: This unusual variety has deep burgundy leaves with ruffled edges and grows to 18 inches tall.
Premium Sun series: These cultivars are bred to tolerate full sun.
Fairway series: These dwarf coleus varieties grow only 6 to 10 inches tall in a variety of leaf patterns and colors.