Colourful Coleus

One of the most important elements of a garden is colour. Whether you’re looking for a rainbow across your backyard or a muted and harmonised palette, the plants you choose are a vital part of making your colour design vision come to life. For those looking for masses of colour that delight the senses (and for tropical foliage lovers), plant colourful coleus.

Coleus plants first had their moment in Victorian England during the boom in plant interest across the mid and late 19th century. These leafy plants graced conservatories across Europe, when many varieties were cultivated and hybridised to develop the impressive range that exists today. The colourful coleus plants are part of the mint family – Lamiaceae – and this relation is clear in the textured leaves.

While standard green is certainly an option, most choose to purchase these plants for their fiery colours, including bright red, orange, pink, purple and a combination of them all. The colours themselves aren’t the only form of interest though, the patterns they come in are also captivating, blending contrasting hues to form a picture unlike any other you’ll find in your garden. With such variety, there is also an option for every part of the garden.

Coleus Care

Most enjoy partially shady conditions, but there are a few that can handle deep shade and others that can handle some more sun. Due to their tropical origins, they don’t handle cold well and prefer to be planted in warmer regions with some protection in winter. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, especially when temperatures are high, to keep the leaves lush and looking good.

Varieties to try:

‘King Salmon Pink’
‘Campfire’
‘Freckles’
‘Kong Empire’
‘Salsa Verde’
‘Wasabi’
‘Salsa Verde’
‘Crimson Gold’
‘Watermelon’

How To Propagate Coleus

If you have a favourite coleus variety growing in your garden already and want more of the same, or if you are given some cutting material, root cuttings fast in water on a bright windowsill.

You need: