Coleus is a summer foliage plant for a bright shade or morning sun location that adds an unexpected sparkle to the summer shade garden. These unusual plants set off neighboring plants with their colorful foliage. Place them among blooming shade plants in your garden for a splash of light and color.
Mint Family
Coleus share a few traits with its distant cousin, mint. They like it on the shady side and have even been known to thrive in a bright window indoors. We consider them annuals; performing well till the first frost. Unlike mint they stay where you plant them and don’t wander off.
Enjoy Coleus combined with impatiens, ipomoea vine (Sweet potato vine), lobelia, nasturtiums, and other shade loving plants. They are showy when grown in a pots or shade beds.
Care
Feed about every four weeks with Maxsea All Purpose Plant Food to keep foliage fresh looking. Pinch new growth to keep plants compact.
Blooms are best pinched out before showing color (blue). Pinching keeps the plant bushier by promoting branching leaf growth.
Coleus plants need warm temperatures and rich, loose, well-drained soil to flourish.
