Botanical Name: Coleus hybridus (Solenostemon scutellarioides)
Common Name: Coleus
Type of Plant: dicot: perennial
 
Habit of Growth:
Overall Shape A shrubby, upright perennial with widely varied, colorful foliage and form; widely used as a houseplant or shade bedding plant
Height to 2'
Spread to 2'
Growth Rate rapid
 
Environment:
Exposure in/outdoors likes bright light indoors, prefers shade outside
Soil likes a well drained, amended soil or a standard houseplant mix
Hardiness tender to frost, but used as a spring annual in all zones
 
Morphology:
Leaves pinnate, 2-4" long, various colors from purple to red, yellow and pink along with various variegation patterns; some forms scalloped, lobed
Flowers terminal spikes of pale blue flowers, best if pinched off whenever they form
Fruit small capsule
 
Propagation:
seed, herbaceous stem cuttings taken at any time
 
Usage:
popular houseplant now being widely used as a bedding plant in shaded beds, tropical areas, usually as mass plantings; will overwinter in mild areas but most often used as a warm season annual
 
Landscape Care:
Watering prefers regular watering, not drought tolerant
Fertilizing likes regular feeding with a high nitrogen fertilizer
Pruning pinch regularly to encourage bushiness, remove unsightly flowers
Pests/Diseases whitefly, mealybug, scale – very attractive to indoor pests
Special Conditions/Other “indicator plant” for indoor insect pests
 
Origin: Tropical Asia
Family: Lamiaceae

Notes:
 
PDF
Your pictures go here