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Coleus
Coleus scutellarioides
Care level: Easy
Coleus, or painted nettle, is grown for foliage that comes in almost every colour a leaf can be: lime, burgundy, pink, orange, near-black, usually in two or three shades at once, with scalloped or deeply cut edges. It belongs to the mint family, with the square stems to prove it, and comes from tropical Asia and northern Australia. It grows fast, stays bushy when pinched, and serves equally as a houseplant in bright light and as a tender summer plant for pots and borders.
Coleus Wizard seriesColeus Kong seriesColeus 'Henna'
Light
Bright light indoors; partial shade outdoors. Full sun can wilt it and deep shade makes it leggy.
Water
Keep the soil moist and never let it dry out completely. Pots in summer may need water every day.
Humidity
Average room humidity is enough.
Soil
Moist, rich, loose soil or potting compost that drains well.
Temperature
Frost tender. Keep it in a warm room and bring outdoor pots in before the first cold nights.
Size
15-90cm tall and 15-90cm wide.
Growth speed
Fast
?Pet safety not confirmed
As a precaution, keep it out of reach of children and pets.
Propagation tip
Coleus is one of the easiest plants to multiply. A stem tip cut below a pair of leaves roots in a glass of water within a couple of weeks, so a favourite plant can be carried through winter as cuttings on a windowsill.
Care by Season
Spring
Start new plants from cuttings or seed. Pinch out the tips of young plants so that they branch.
Summer
The main season of growth. Water often, keep pinching, and remove the flower spikes.
Autumn
Take cuttings or bring pots indoors before the first frost.
Winter
Keep indoor plants in the brightest spot you have and water a little less. Growth slows and stems may stretch.
Growing & Maintenance
Soil and pot
Plant in moist, rich, loose soil or a good potting compost, in a pot with drainage holes.
Pruning
Pinch out the stem tips regularly for a bushier plant, and remove flower spikes as they form.
Propagation
By stem cuttings, which root easily in water or in clean potting compost.
Pests & Diseases
Common problems
Long, thin stems
Most likely cause: Too little light, or no pinching.
What to do: Move it into brighter light and pinch out the tips.
Wilting at midday
Most likely cause: Full sun or dry soil.
What to do: Water thoroughly and move it into partial shade.
Washed-out leaf colour
Most likely cause: Too much direct sun, or far too little light.
What to do: Give it bright light out of the hottest sun.
Lower leaves dropping
Most likely cause: The plant has dried out repeatedly.
What to do: Water before it wilts.
Blackened, collapsed plant after a cold night
Most likely cause: Frost or near-frost.
What to do: Bring plants in earlier, or keep cuttings indoors as a reserve.
Pests & Diseases
Aphids
Signs: Clusters of small insects on the soft shoot tips and under the leaves.
Treatment: Rinse them off with water, or pinch out and discard the affected tips.
Whiteflies
Signs: Tiny white insects that fly up in a cloud when the plant is touched, with sticky leaves underneath.
Treatment: Hang yellow sticky traps and rinse the undersides of the leaves regularly.
Spider mites
Signs: Fine pale speckling and thin webbing on the leaves, especially on indoor plants in dry air.
Treatment: Rinse the plant under a lukewarm shower and raise the humidity around it. Check the undersides of the leaves and the crevices where the leaf stem meets the main stalk.
FAQ
Why is my coleus leggy?
It is short of light or has not been pinched. In deep shade the stems stretch and the plant thins out. Move it into brighter light and pinch out the stem tips to make it branch.
Can coleus take full sun?
Many plants wilt in full sun, and the leaf colours can bleach. Partial shade outdoors, or bright light out of the hottest sun indoors, gives the best colour.
Should I remove the flowers?
Yes, if you grow it for the leaves. Pinching out the small flower spikes as they appear keeps the plant bushy and producing new foliage.
How do I keep coleus through the winter?
It does not survive frost. Before the nights turn cold, bring potted plants indoors to a bright spot, or take cuttings and root them in water.
How often should I water coleus?
Keep the soil moist. The thin leaves lose water fast and the plant wilts as soon as it dries out, especially in a pot in summer. It recovers after watering, but repeated wilting costs it its lower leaves.
Can coleus sap irritate the skin?
It can. Contact with the leaves causes a brief, minor skin irritation in some people, and a rash after frequent, repeated contact. Wear gloves if you handle many plants.
