They may not have brilliant flowers but the foliage coloring more than makes up for that with coleus. With almost 300 varieties, a wide array of shapes and leaf color, and a low growing season, it’s no wonder they have earned such a huge fan club.
Coleus plants come from Malaysia and southeastern Asia. Since the 1800s, horticulturalists have bred and cultivated coleus plants for their colorful foliage. This has lead to the large number of cultivated varieties with new plants being developed all the time.
They are characterized by square stems and leaves situated directly opposite one another. Though it produces tiny blue to white flowers, they are insignificant and are often pinched off to conserve the plant’s energy.
Planted outdoors in early spring, coleus quickly grows to full size in a single season. Large swaths of assorted coleus plantings that take on a quilt-like appearance can look luscious in a landscape or garden beds. Its vividly colored foliage also adds a decorative touch to window boxes, container gardens, and hanging baskets.
Coleus varieties
Some of the more popular varieties you are likely to find at Lowe’s and other nurseries include:
- Wizard series: These are small 12- to 14-inch plants in standard color mixes. They are known to be very easy to grow from seeds.
- Kong series: These coleus varieties have huge 6-inch leaves on big 2-foot tall plants. They are quite sensitive to direct sunlight.
- ‘Black Dragon’: This unusual variety has deep burgundy leaves with ruffled edges. They grow to 18 inches tall.
- Premium Sun series: These cultivars are bred to tolerate full sun.
- Fairway series: These are dwarf coleus varieties, only 6 to 10 inches tall, in a variety of leaf patterns and colors.
My favorite coleus “find” this year was in the Lava Series. This one is called Lava Rose. I planted it in one of my favorite urns in early spring and it’s been spreading and spilling down the sides ever since. I love all the colors, burgundy, pink, a splash of yellow, and lime green. It is a perfect specimen for planters where you need a stunning spiller.
Lava Rose would also be the perfect choice as a ground cover or for trailing over a wall. This variety grows 6 to 10 inches tall with a spread of 18 to 24 inches. As a bonus, when so many of my flowering plants are starting to fade away, this coleus still sparkles in my garden.
Coleus do not like cold weather and I know they will die when the first frost makes an appearance. Before that happens, I will take several cuttings to enjoy indoors. Coleus can also be brought inside to overwinter providing you have a bright location.
Enjoy them while the last!
