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Coleus
Coleus scutellarioides
Coleus is grown for its foliage rather than flowers, giving the garden structure and color all season long.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Coleus
Plant it in part shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 10–11. Expect it to reach about 1.6 ft tall and 1.3 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Coleus
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Coleus into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 10 in January.
Comes in 12 varieties
Same plant, same care - pick the variety you are growing.
Good to know about Coleus
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
The ASPCA lists coleus as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (essential oils cause vomiting and diarrhea); its leaves can also cause a contact rash on people. per ASPCA and NC State
Worth knowing
Light controls the very thing you grow coleus for: leaf color. Non-sun cultivars bleach in full sun, so richest color comes from bright indirect light or part shade. per Clemson and NC State
How much sun it wants
Sun tolerance depends on the cultivar. Classic and Kong-type coleus need part shade; newer sun series like ColorBlaze are bred for full sun. Match the plant to the spot. per NC State and University of Minnesota
Trouble-free or pest-prone?
Both, depending on setting. A well-sited outdoor coleus is usually low-maintenance; the real mealybug, whitefly and downy-mildew pressure shows up in greenhouses and on plants overwintered indoors. per NC State and Clemson
Downy mildew, the main threat
Coleus downy mildew shows angular leaf blotches, curling and heavy leaf drop, with gray-purple fuzz on leaf undersides. It thrives in cool, humid weather and eases above 25 C. per UMass and NC State
Overwinter it from cuttings
The first fall frost kills it, but stem cuttings root in water or mix in 2 to 3 weeks, so you can carry a favorite cultivar over winter indoors. per NC State
Pinch off the flowers
Coleus is grown for its leaves, not bloom. Pinch or shear off the small blue-violet flower spikes so it stays leafy and does not decline into seed. per NC State
What pairs well with Coleus
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Rhododendron
Shares part shade and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 5.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Northern Sea Oats
Shares part shade and moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Camellia
Shares part shade and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 6.6 ft, for the layer behind it.
Gardenia
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate to high water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 3.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Bergenia
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Hellebore
Shares part shade and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Japanese Forest Grass
Shares part shade and moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Christmas Fern
Takes part shade to full shade and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
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