Coleus are known for their colorful leaves and are a great addition to shaded or part-sun areas of your garden. Some cultivars are more tolerant of sun, so be sure to read the labels on your selected varieties. Here is a list of some of the sun-loving varieties.
Cultivars can have wavy, smooth-edged, or serrated leaves and come in many colors, including pink, green, chartreuse, cream, orange, red, yellow, maroon, pink, purple, and more.
See a container garden for the shade that includes coleus.
How to Grow Coleus From Seeds or Cuttings
If you want to start your garden early and are looking to save some money – you can easily grow them from seed. I planted seeds this year in my garage under a grow light.
This is probably one of the easiest plants to grow from seed. I had a lot of success with the seeds. So much so that I now have lots of seedlings growing – enough to share.
Starting seeds was a lot cheaper than buying plants, and I was able to get the seedlings in the garden earlier than if I had waited for the arrival of the plants in local stores.
They can also be easily propagated from cuttings by just sticking them in water to grow roots. In the winter, you can take some clippings to bring some indoors to root and keep for next summer. They make a colorful addition to your kitchen window, and you can even grow it as a houseplant year round, if you wish.
Container Gardening
Coleus are great for container gardens – be sure the soil is well-drained and that you check to ensure it doesn’t dry out in between waterings. Some plants that make good color combinations with coleus (in the shade) include creeping jenny, maidenhair ferns, and impatiens. With the many colors of Coleus plants out there, you’re sure to find a good combination. In a container garden, Coleus will require some fertilizer – a water-soluble one can be added every two weeks.
How to Care for Coleus
Coleus is a hardy annual. Plant it in part-shade to shade (except for those varieties that are more sun tolerant) to ensure the best color of the leaves.
It’s disease resistant, so it will perform well. To get the most out of the plant, pinch off any shoots to encourage wider, denser foliage rather than tall plants (pinching encourages branching).
When the flowers bloom in summer, cut them off to keep the plant looking good.
This plant doesn’t like wet feet, so it requires well-drained soil. However, you will need to keep it watered in periods of dry weather and especially when you have just transferred seedlings or new shoots.
Coleus are hardy in zones 10 and 11 and can be grown as perennials there. They are deer resistant.
Looking for other shade-loving plants? Check out my article ‘10 Plants for Shade Gardens.’
Wildlife Value of Coleus
The flowers of Coleus attract bees.