Sometimes we love puttering around in the garden and deadheading flowers. Sometimes, not so much! If you’re looking for a plant that brings maximum impact and drama with minimum care, you need to add coleus to your garden.
Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides) is easy to grow, doesn’t need deadheading, and looks good all season long. It’s especially useful when used as a midseason replacement for other faded annuals.
Grown for its vibrant foliage, coleus is a sturdy annual, though it may survive as a perennial in warmer zones. It works equally well in beds and planters. Once a shade-only plant, many new types of coleus thrive in full sun conditions. They’re also more unusual than ever with swirling and speckled leaf patterns. They come in both upright and trailing forms.
The foliage comes in every color you can imagine, including deep red, pink, bright orange, chartreuse, burgundy, and green with pointed, oval, or scalloped leaves. The veining patterns also are quite eye-catching, so they make a striking focal point wherever you plant them. They are especially impressive when massed in the landscape for a nonstop show of color until a frost.
Here’s everything you need to know about growing coleus in your garden:
How to Grow Coleus
Coleus is easy to grow in beds or planters. If you have heavy clay, it’s better to grow them in a container because they do prefer well-draining soil.
Light
Old varieties of coleus could tolerate shade only, but many new types can take full sun. Read the plant tag or description so you know what you’re buying. For best color, they do need some sun, so give them some morning sun and afternoon shade. If they wilt, you know you are giving them too much direct sunlight.
Water
Coleus like to stay evenly moist. Poke your finger into the soil. If the top few inches feel dry, it’s time to water. But don’t let them get too soggy, which leads to root rot.
Soil
Coleus like well-draining, rich soil. Any quality potting mix will do fine. It’s better to plant in pots if you have poor soil or heavy clay, or plants will struggle and may succumb to root rot if the soil stays too wet.
Fertilizer
Give them a water-soluble fertilizer regularly, especially if in pots. Once a month is fine for in-ground plants, but you may want to increase to twice a month for pots because the nutrients tend to leach out of containers more quickly.
Pruning
It’s not necessary to prune or deadhead these plants if you don’t want to do so because they’re truly hands-off. However, if you pinch the stems back, they’ll become fuller and bushier. You also can trim off the insignificant flower spikes that appear in late summer if you want the plant to put more energy into leaf production.
Can You Overwinter Coleus?
If you get particularly attached to a coleus plant, you can bring it inside for the winter. Treat it as any houseplant, giving it as much bright light as possible. You may wish to use a grow light to help it stay healthy throughout the winter.
Coleus at a Glance
Common Name: Coleus
Botanical Name: Coleus scutellarioides
Type of Plant: Annual, perennial in zones 10 to 11
Native Origin: Southeast Asia and Malaysia; Asia and tropical Africa
USDA Zones: Grown as an annual
Sun Exposure: Part to full sun, depending on the variety
Mature Size: 6 inches to 3 feet tall and wide
Is Coleus Toxic to Dogs and Cats?
Coleus is considered to be a mildly toxic plant. “They contain diterpenes that can cause skin irritation in humans, and when ingested by dogs or cats, it can cause mild stomach upset,” says Tina Wismer, DVM, senior director of toxicology at ASPCA Poison Control.
