Coleus choices recommended by Nancy Szerlag in her Annuals For Michigan by Lone Pine Press.
S. scutellarioides (Coleus blumei var. verschaffeltii) forms a bushy mound of foliage. The leaf edges range from slightly toothed to very ruffled. The leaves are usually multi-colored with shades ranging from pale greenish yellow to deep purple-black. The size may be 6–24", depending on the cultivar, and the spread is usually equal to the height. There are dozens of cultivars available and many cannot be started from seed.
A few interesting cultivars that can be started from seed are the ‘Dragon’ series with bright yellow-green margins to the variably-colored leaves;
‘Palisandra’ with velvety, purple-black foliage;
‘Scarlet Poncho’ with wine red leaves edged in yellow-green;
and the ‘Wizard’ series with variegated foliage on compact plants.
S. ‘Palisandra’ elegant nearly black velvet-like leaves borne on 18-inch plants.
S. ‘Garnet Robe’ a cascading variety with trailing stems covered with stunning rich Bordeux colored leaves edged in chartreuse.
Try growing coleus from seed; it is easy
Coleus Rainbow Blend Seeds
- Underused plant for outside in the shade garden.
- Blend of coleus 12 inches to 36 inches in reds to greens
- Extremely easy from seed good inside or out
- Also fine container plant indoors
- Solenostemon scutellarioides
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Black Dragon Coleus 40 Seeds
by Hirt's
40 Black Dragon Coleus Seeds - Great indoors or out!
Tongues of Fire for the Shade!
Terrific texture, PLUS eye-catching red-to-violet color!
Breathe a little hot color into the shade border or sunny window this season with Black Dragon, an unusually richly-textured, warmly-colored foliage plant. Compact, very showy, and easy to grow, it's a must-have for anyone with a patch of shade (or empty flowerpot!) to call their own!
The leaves are spectacular, both for their red-to-midnight-purple color shading and their rippling edges, which give the plant much more presence than most Coleus. The leaves will turn color and begin to pucker at a very early age, making this one of the most fun seeds to start indoors. (For even fuller, bushier plants, pinch back the young tips a few times during the growth season.) I sowed a packet of Black Dragon in successive waves about a month apart, just to enjoy the young leaves that much longer!
This compact plant reaches about a foot high and nearly as wide in partial to full shade (or bright indirect light indoors). In the garden, it's a fine companion to everything from Begonias to Impatiens. Indoors, it fills a 6- to 8-inch pot beautifully with color that never quits!
Coleus germinates readily and grows eagerly. For bushier, fuller plants, keep the growing tips pinched. To extend the lush color into fall, remove any stray flower spikes that emerge -- they take energy away from maintaining the gorgeous foliage, and the flowers are insignificant. If growing in the garden, sow about 10 inches apart. If growing indoors for houseplants, sow at any time, placing the young plants in a well-lit window. Pkt is 40 seeds.
Coleus Rainbow Blend Seeds 200 seeds
- Underused plant for outside in the shade garden.
- Blend of coleus 12 inches to 36 inches in reds to greens
- Extremely easy from seed good inside or out
- Also fine container plant indoors
King Kong Coleus 10 Seeds -Indoors or Out- HUGE!
by Hirt's
King Kong coleus
King Kong boast huge leaves and unique color patterns with a mounding habit. Giant leaves, each one unique. Shades of red and cream over bright green make a true mosaic! Plants grow no taller than 22 inches in the garden. The varieties demonstrate good basal branching to fill containers and landscapes. They also make great indoor houseplants in bright, artificial light conditions. Very easy to grow!
Giant Exhibition Palisandra Coleus 10 Seeds-Indoors/Out
by Hirt's
Giant Exhibition Palisandra Coleus
A Black Velvet Canopy for the Garden, Container, or Indoor Beauty! Soft, neatly serrated burgundy-maroon leaves are 6 inches long and up to 4 inches wide!
This gorgeous heirloom was among the favorites during the "Coleus craze" of the late Victorian era, and it's easy to see why! Soft, velvety, neatly serrated leaves of deepest burgundy-maroon look black atop these upright 12- to 16-inch plants. 6 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide, they make a big impact, held out flat from the plant.
Originally selected as a houseplant, Giant Exhibition Palisandra is also a fine specimen in the shade garden, and is just the right size for containers. One of a series of reselected Victorian Coleus, it is also fabulous in a mass planting with other varieties from its era.
50+ Coral Sunrise Coleus Seeds By Seed Needs
by Seed Needs
- Coleus thrives in a range of sunlight conditions. They grow best in partial and indirect light. They also need a rich, soft soil that drains well. If planting in containers, make sure there or holes in the bottom of the container for drainage. Use plenty of peat moss so the soil will be loose and light.
- Keep soil moist. Frequent watering is important to healthy growth.
- For optimum growth and leaf color, apply regular applications of fertilizer. Use solid fertilizer in gardens once a month. In containers, apply liquid fertilizer every two weeks or more.
- Leaf (drop)is common when moving indoors to reduced light. Try to make the reduction lighting gradual. This helps the plant adjust to lower light levels.
- If planting in your flowerbed, space plants one foot apart.
- Coleus are tender annuals. They will succumb to light frosts. Bring them in side in early fall, well before frost is predicted.
- Coleus are easy to grow. Gardeners grow them both outdoors, and as indoor houseplants. Originating in Africa and Indonesia, Coleus tolerates shade well, making them a great indoor houseplant. They do well in shade gardens, pots and containers, and in hanging baskets. - While Coleus will produce flowers, most people grow them for their rich, colorful leaves. Leaf colors are enhanced if shaded from hot, afternoon sun.
50 Pineapple Wizard Coleus Seeds By Seed Needs
by Seed Needs
- Coleus thrives in a range of sunlight conditions. They grow best in partial and indirect light. They also need a rich, soft soil that drains well. If planting in containers, make sure there or holes in the bottom of the container for drainage. Use plenty of peat moss so the soil will be loose and light.
- Keep soil moist. Frequent watering is important to healthy growth.
- For optimum growth and leaf color, apply regular applications of fertilizer. Use solid fertilizer in gardens once a month. In containers, apply liquid fertilizer every two weeks or more.
- Leaf (drop)is common when moving indoors to reduced light. Try to make the reduction lighting gradual. This helps the plant adjust to lower light levels.
- If planting in your flowerbed, space plants one foot apart.
- Coleus are tender annuals. They will succumb to light frosts. Bring them in side in early fall, well before frost is predicted.
Coleus are easy to grow. Gardeners grow them both outdoors, and as indoor houseplants. Originating in Africa and Indonesia, Coleus tolerates shade well, making them a great indoor houseplant. They do well in shade gardens, pots and containers, and in hanging baskets. While Coleus will produce flowers, most people grow them for their rich, colorful leaves. Leaf colors are enhanced if shaded from hot, afternoon sun.
Flower Coleus Sonatina Scarlet Yellow 50 Seeds per Packet
by JSS
- Days to Maturity or Bloom: 45
- Variety does well when grown in a container.
- Vigorous, rich burgundy with gold edging coleus that shrugs off high temperatures and humidity. Selected for its compact and uniform habit as well as the beautiful colors. Very late flowering minimizes deadheading and maintains the beauty of the plant. Ht. 8-16".
Heirloom Coleus - Rainbow, Mixed Colors - 150MG
by Ferry Morse
Annual. A favorite for its large velvety leaves in many rich colors and combinations with red, green and yellow predominatin, make this a superb ornamental plant. Coleus develops rich colors if shaded from afternoon sun.
