Avid gardeners continually try new cultivars in their landscape, looking for that “perfect” plant. If you’re like me, you’re usually disappointed by midsummer because that expensive, reportedly “showstopping” annual you eagerly purchased in spring doesn’t live up to the glory that was proclaimed on its tag. Well, look no further! Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) is the answer to your quest for plant perfection!
Vibrant pinks and purples abound in coleus selections.
Photo Credit: Joy Goforth
The striking foliage colors of this beautiful annual replace the need for flowers in a shady landscape.
Photo Credit: Joy Goforth
Interesting leaf shapes and distinctly unique margins add color and texture to any planting combination.
Photo Credit: Joy Goforth
There’s simply no end to the color variations of coleus.
Photo Credit: Joy Goforth
I’m a sucker for plants with colorful flowers. But often the plants with the most striking hues only bloom for a short season, usually leaving behind only moderately interesting foliage and spent blooms that need to be removed. Coleus, however, has amazing leaves that come in a literal rainbow of both vibrant and subtle colors. The only one I haven’t observed in this annual is blue, but all of the other colors of the rainbow seem to be represented in any combination imaginable.
Depending on the variety, coleus can grow anywhere between 6-36 inches tall (with some reportedly reaching 4 feet) and 8-30 inches wide. It works well in a variety of gardening situations, including edging, mixed borders and planting beds.
Is your garden hot and sunny, or is it damp and shady? With coleus, it doesn’t matter! Initially, this annual was the plant that was simply perfect for a shady garden, but now many sun-loving varieties are on the market, too – and they’re equally as striking. (Just be sure to read the tag carefully to ensure you’re purchasing a coleus that’s best suited for your landscape.)
And if you prefer to garden in containers, great news – coleus is also the perfect container candidate! Large, solid-colored plants make a striking backdrop in oversized mixed containers, while smaller, more intricate coleus selections bring wonderful color and interest to any potted planting or hanging basket. And in a medium-sized container, one of the large varieties like ‘Kong’ or ‘Giant Exhibition’ planted by itself creates a wonderful accent to container groupings on a patio, deck or porch.
You can plant coleus as soon as the danger of frost has passed. And thanks to their fast growth rate and immediate color, these are good annuals to plant throughout the gardening season. Coleus prefer a soil with a good bit of organic matter, so planting in containers with a good quality mix, or amending heavy clay or sandy soil with soil conditioner, will yield the largest, most colorful plants.
Shade coleus that are planted in the shade should only need to be watered a couple of times a week (unless temperatures are excessively high). Sun coleus planted in full sun will need to be watered more frequently – possibly as much as every day, depending on the soil conditions or size of the container in which they’re planted.
I wish I could say that this wonderful annual is completely pest- and maintenance-free, but as with all plants, there are a few attackers to be aware of. Snails and slugs come out at night and can leave holes as large as pennies in the foliage. (During the day, look for a mucus trail left behind by the slugs or snails on the upper surface of the leaves.) Mealybugs and whiteflies can be an issue, too, but if your plants are insect-free when you buy them, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll become infested in the landscape.
By carefully selecting the right coleus for your gardening situation, you, too, can stop throwing away your money on annuals that fade as the summer progresses. What’s more, you’ll be able to enjoy vibrant colors, textures and immense diversity right up until the first fall frost! Now that’s an annual showstopper!
