Coleus care at home. Coleus: plant varieties and care features Coleus types and varieties name of photo

Perhaps, if you put together several varieties and varieties of coleus, it will be difficult to imagine that they are one and the same plant. Its height varies from 20 cm to 1 m, the color of the leaves ranges from soft beige to purple, almost black shades. Yes, yes, coleus is grown mainly not for the beauty of its inflorescences, but for the noble “appearance” of its velvety leaves.

Peculiarities

Coleus are plants in the form of small bushes. Its distinctive feature is its lush and numerous leaves, similar in appearance to nettles. However, coleus boasts a variety of shades of these leaves. By the way, because of its similarity, coleus is often called “nettle” among people.

Another name is “poor man's croton,” as if hinting that the plant can compete with the more noble one, codiaum, in the beauty and luxury of its leaves.

Coleus is grown both as an annual and perennial. Despite the fact that the tropics are considered its homeland, domestic flower growers and gardeners note the unpretentiousness of the plant and the ease of caring for it. In the wild, the plant reaches 50-100 cm in height. And, although it blooms, the main decoration of nettles is still the leaves. Its inflorescences are small and inconspicuous.

The plant has a light-loving disposition. With a lack of light, it changes the bright color of its leaves to faded. This can be observed in winter. However, the bright color of the leaves at the same time allows the plant to protect itself from UV rays. However, despite such durability, it is better to shade the tropical guest in the hot summer heat.

The optimal temperature for nettles is the range of +20… +25 degrees. At the same time, she is not afraid of minor temperature changes. The critical temperature drop threshold is +12 degrees; the plant can die even with spring frosts. That is why the plant is planted in open ground at the end of May, when the ground and air are warmed up to 15-17 degrees.

In hot weather, coleus requires moisture as the earthen clod dries out. At the same time, the plant will tolerate short-term drought more easily than excessive watering. Although, ideally, the earthen ball should always be slightly damp. In the summer heat, you can spray the air around the coleus with water, avoiding moisture getting on the leaves. The latter cannot be wiped with a damp cloth, as this can easily damage them.

Watering using the drip method should be avoided. It is recommended to loosen the soil before watering and after prolonged rains.. The plant is propagated by seeds or stem cuttings. Experienced gardeners usually resort to propagation by seeds, while the second method will be quite simple and understandable for everyone.

Main varieties

Coleus has up to 150 varieties. Let's look at the most popular among them.

Bloom's Coleus

The plant earned its name in honor of the botanist Carl Blum, under whose leadership it was bred. It is a shrub up to 0.8 m high, with a tetrahedral stem and large, egg-shaped leaves. This species is the progenitor of most ornamental varieties. Characterized by a rich palette of leaf shades. It includes many shades, from purple and dark red to soft pink and white.

Suitable for growing in open ground, being easy to care for and resistant to frost (survives until the first autumn frosts). During the season it produces many cuttings, which can be first rooted in water and then planted in the ground (during the summer) or rooted as a potted plant.

At the end of the growing season, the mother plant can also be transplanted into a pot and taken indoors for the winter, so that it can be planted again in the flowerbed in the spring.

"Renelta"

This variety includes all ampelous varieties of coleus, which allows the plant to be actively used for decorating parks, loggias, terraces, shopping centers and offices. Sri Lanka is considered the homeland. When this variety was crossed with others, decorative hanging varieties appeared, intended for home cultivation. This wren can be recognized by its characteristic color - deep red color combined with green edging.

Hybrid

For convenience, all varieties of the hybrid variety can be divided into high, medium and low.

1. tall perennial is a bush up to 60-80 cm high, formed by erect multifaceted stems. The leaves of hybrid forms can be varied - wide ovate or narrower heart-shaped. They are located opposite on long petioles. They have wavy edges and a velvety surface; their color can be either monochromatic or variegated.
2. Medium sized coleus hybrid reaches a height of 30-50 cm. Can be grown in open ground and indoors. There are both relatively unpretentious and more capricious shrubs to care for.

For indoor growing, low-growing hybrids (up to 30 cm) are usually chosen. In this case, the plant is more compact and resistant to shortened daylight hours.

Forskoli

It is fair to classify the plant as a separate variety. Today, forskoliya is actively used as a fat-burning supplement. It grows in the wild in the mountainous regions of Thailand, India, and Nepal. The leaves are characterized by a high content of essential oils and are therefore very fragrant. The smell can be compared to the smell of camphor.

The plant is a shrub up to 70 cm in height. Unlike its decorative counterparts, forskolia have not variegated, but monochromatic green leaves. The color is more emerald, mint than herbal. It blooms with beautiful blue or lavender “spikelets”.

Popular varieties

From Coleus Bloom

• "Sabre." Miniature shrubs, the height of which does not exceed 15-20 cm. They are characterized by the colorful color of the leaves - in the central part they are cherry-pink, and along the edges they are painted in a salad-yellowish color.

• "Black dragon". One of the hybrid varieties of this variety. A showy shrub with dark purple, almost black, corrugated leaves and light pink veins. They are velvety to the touch, jagged at the edges, and can be either more rounded or oblong. The Velvet of the Night variety is often confused with this variety. The plants are really similar.

• "Velvet of the Night"- these are the same velvety leaves of a dark purple hue. However, instead of pink veins, they have a purple "core".

• "Wizard." A small (up to 30 cm) plant with fluffy leaves. This variety has several varieties, each of which has a different shade.

1. the “Wizard Jade” variety is distinguished by its white-green color, the main part of the leaf is milky white, gradually the color turns into a jade-emerald border;
2. the “Wizard Evening Dawn” variety has red-scarlet “foliage” with a golden rim along the edge;
3. “Wizard Golden” surprises with its yellow-golden leaves;
4. "Wizard Pinneaple" has green leaves with cherry streaks;
5. "Wizard Scarlett" is also known as "Wizard Velvet" (the leaves are mostly cherry with a thin green-yellow rim).

• "Butterfly". This species owes its name (translated from English as “butterfly”) to the unusual shape of the leaves - they resemble the wings of butterflies.

• "Kong." This species got its name because of its large size - a tall shrub with long leaves looks impressive. In an adult plant, the width and height of the crown can be equal.

• "Buttercup." Another “giant” among the coleus. The height of plants of this species can reach 50 cm. Another sign is light green with white, sometimes almost completely white, foliage.

• “Fire Nettle” (“Burning Bush”). The name of the plant is explained by the appearance of its leaves - they look like dancing flames and have an orange-yellow color.

In flower beds you can increasingly find carpet varieties - “Yulke” (beautiful low-growing shrubs with dark green velvety leaves and a golden border) and “Gero” (“carpet” of dark purple leaves).

Ampelous varieties or Coleus variety Renelta

• "Pumila." It is an ampelous shrub with recumbent stems. Due to the peculiarities of the location of the shoots, it can take different shapes.

• "Reneltianus" and its variety "Reneltianus superbus". Indoor wren with reddish-brown leaves and green edges. With proper care, these varieties bloom, producing a delicate blue spikelet-like inflorescence.

• Coleus Diamond. An ornamental variety characterized by smaller leaves. At the same time, the bush is covered with them very abundantly, which is why it looks very lush. The leaves can be lemon or burgundy in color.

Hybrid varieties

• Carefree Series. A small shrub (height 25-30 cm) with corrugated leaves is the best option for growing in a pot.

• Fairway Series. A highly branching hybrid, literally strewn with leaves. Thanks to this, the bush looks lush. Moreover, its height does not exceed 20 cm, and the number of leaf colors reaches 10 types. Among the most impressive are “Salmon Rose” (deep pink leaves with a green edge), Ruby (scarlet leaves with a thin yellow edge).

Coleus, from the Lamiaceae family, is an evergreen perennial that stands out for its bright decorative leaf blades and ease of care. The name of the plant, which is a native of tropical forests, is of Greek origin and is translated as “case.”

The above-ground part of the inhabitant of the tropics is represented by silvery shoots, which are covered with oppositely located, jagged leaf plates, reminiscent of nettle in shape, for which the culture was popularly called “nettle”. The color of the leaves is varied - green, yellow, burgundy and red. The flowers, which are not of particular value, form racemose inflorescences of blue or purple color.

Despite the fact that in the wild the genus has more than 150 species, in culture it is represented by only a few species.

A common open-ground subshrub up to 80 cm high with a woody base from the tropical zones of Southeast Asia, which has become the basis for the work of breeders in developing many varieties.

The most popular representatives of the species:

• Coleus "Black Dragon" is a variety that stands out for its brownish-purple foliage with ruffled edges and pronounced red veins.
• Coleus “Wizard” is a variety series that deserves attention due to the variegated colors of its leaves, framed by a border of different sizes and shades.

Coleus hybrid

The species has gained the greatest popularity in indoor floriculture, although sometimes it can be found in the garden. A small plant that can reach a height of one meter. The elongated, oval-shaped leaves with jagged edges can change color depending on the amount of light they receive. In the shade, the leaves of the representative of the tropical lora are green, but if the flower grows in sunny areas, the leaf plates acquire a burgundy color.

Coleus Renelta

The ampelous form is grown in hanging pots used to decorate balconies, terraces and courtyards. The species is distinguished by its petiolate, heart-shaped leaves, which are decorated with multi-colored veins along the edges, giving the species a special charm.

The most common way to obtain variegated and unpretentious bushes is to grow coleus from seeds, which are available in a wide range in flower shops.

Preparing the soil and container

To get friendly and healthy shoots, you need to choose the right dishes and soil:

• Soil - Coleus prefers fertile and light soil with a loose structure, which is prepared from garden soil, peat and sand in equal parts. Before use, the soil mixture is calcined in the oven.
• Capacity - a shallow box is selected for future seedlings.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

To obtain seedlings, sowing is carried out at the end of March according to the following scheme:

1. A flat container is filled with the prepared substrate.
2. Seeds are distributed over the surface of the soil, lightly pressed down and moistened with a spray bottle.
3. The container is covered with glass and moved to a shaded, warm place where the substrate is kept slightly moist.
4. After germination, the glass is removed.
5. The box is moved to a window with diffused light, where the temperature varies between 17-19°C.
6. When the seedlings form their first pair of true leaves, they are planted in special cassettes for the development of the root system.
7. When two pairs of true leaves are formed, the seedlings are planted in half-liter cups, where they are pinched for better branching.

Planting coleus in open ground

After the onset of stable heat, when the threat of return frosts has passed, you can begin planting seedlings in open ground:

• Select a sunny area, protected from the winds and slightly shaded during solar activity.
• Holes are dug the size corresponding to the root system of the seedlings, with a small distance from each other.
• A layer of peat or compost is poured into each hole to improve aeration and fertility.
• Next, the bushes are rolled over from the cups and sprinkled with the extracted soil.
• The soil is slightly compacted and watered.

The flower has won the love of flower growers not only for its decorative foliage, but also for its low maintenance requirements. To grow a healthy, lush plant, you will need to follow a small list of simple procedures.

Watering rules

For full development and preservation of decorativeness, an exotic flower needs abundant watering, in which the soil should not dry out completely between new portions of water. Humidification should be carried out with settled water at room temperature, for which a barrel is well suited, where tap water will be collected and then warmed up during the day.

Attention! When watering, it is necessary to be guided by a sense of proportion, since an excess or constant lack of moisture can cause the crop to shed decorative foliage, for which coleus is valued.

Tillage

Periodically, the tree trunk circle under the bush must be loosened to prevent the formation of an impenetrable crust. Weeds should be controlled as necessary. As a rule, when removing weeds during loosening, you do not need to devote time separately to such a procedure.

How to feed the plant?

In order for the plant to intensively increase its green mass, it should be fed weekly with liquid nitrogen-containing fertilizers during the growth period. A high nitrogen concentration will also delay the onset of the flowering phase.

Trimming technology

To stimulate branching and obtain a lush bush with variegated foliage, which will remain decorative throughout the season, the coleus is cut and pinched:

• The first pinching is carried out in the seedling phase to give the flower a bush shape.
• During the summer, coleus is cut three times, which allows it to form a thick and well-groomed crown.
• When flowers appear, the flower stalks must be removed immediately so that the plant does not waste energy on flowering to the detriment of preserving the beauty of the leaves.

Disease and pest control

Coleus is a flower with strong immunity. However, it can also be attacked by pests such as aphids, spider mites and whiteflies. To protect the plant from dangerous insects, you should resort to spraying the crop with well-proven insecticidal preparations - Actellik, Apollo and other pesticides of similar action.

Some difficulties may arise when there is a lack of lighting, when the coleus shoots begin to stretch, the stem becomes exposed, and it loses its decorative effect. Excessive lighting can also be harmful and cause discoloration and fading of the leaf plates. Due to improper care, the plant's leaves fall off.

Coleus in winter

A heat-loving plant from the tropics does not tolerate harsh winters, so it is grown in open ground as an annual plant.

If the gardener wishes, he can keep the flower alive, but this will require:

• dig up a bush from the garden;
• transplant the plant into a pot;
• place in a room with a temperature range of 8-15°C;
• reduce watering and fertilizing.

Once the ground has warmed up enough and the risk of frost has disappeared, the flower can be replanted back into the garden or flower bed.

Coleus propagation methods

In addition to the seed propagation method, which was described above, there is a vegetative propagation method using cuttings, when:

• Cuttings 10 cm long are prepared from the apical shoots, which are cut off during pruning.
• The leaf plates are removed from the bottom of the resulting cutting.
• The resulting planting material is buried in a special soil mixture of equal parts sand and peat.
• The plantings are covered with plastic bottles.
• After 10-14 days, roots form.
• New plants are planted in their designated places.

Thus, the garden plot can be decorated not only with flowering plants. Decorative coleus with spectacular leaves of variegated colors, which does not require special care, will be an excellent addition to any landscape compositions.

Coleus ( lat. Coleus) − shrubby ornamental deciduous plant, family Lamiaceae).

Coleus has tetrahedral stems and opposite broad-oval leaves, serrated along the edges.

Coleus is native to tropical Africa and Asia.

Coleus sometimes called "poor man's croton" due to its similarity with croton in brightness and color range. Coleus is an unusually beautiful decorative foliage plant. Among modern varieties, the variegated velvety leaves of coleus are beautifully dotted with various patterns of light green, almost white flowers, rich red, dark purple, and brown tones. With the contrasting colors of the cut veins and frames, coleus are reminiscent of works of art from tropical Africa and Asia.

The genus Coleus includes about 150 species of plants in the Lamiaceae family. Evergreen shrubs and annual herbaceous plants. The leaves are opposite, of various colors and patterns, with petioles. Flowers in apical spike-shaped inflorescences. Some species (especially the forms and numerous varieties of the so-called hybrid species Coleus blumei) are known in cultivation as foliage and ornamental plants.

Despite their tropical origin, coleus are unpretentious. Designed for light display in the room. In summer, a pot with a plant can be placed on a balcony or open veranda (terrace). Coleus are characterized by active growth.

Coleus species

− herbaceous perennial plant up to 50-80 cm tall. The stem is erect, branched, tetrahedral, succulent, finely pubescent. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, oval or broadly ovate with a truncated or heart-shaped base, the edges are often wavy, crenate, less often shallowly indented, finely velvety pubescent with sparse longer hairs, variously uniformly or variegatedly colored green, red, dark purple, violet. brown and other colors. The flowers are numerous, collected in a final sparse complex raceme or complex spike. The calyx is two-lipped, the lower lip has 2 teeth. The corolla is up to 1.5 cm long, two-lipped, the upper lip is much larger than the lower, blue, the lower with 2 teeth, whitish. A composite taxon of 200 hybrid forms of horticultural origin, one of which is the Javan
Bloom's Coleus.

. Homeland: Java island. There are an incredible variety of Coleus blumei hybrids. The height of the plant is usually 35-70 cm; there are also dwarf varieties. Most (but not all) forms have leaves that resemble nettle leaves, some have folded leaf edges, others have wavy edges, and the blade itself is corrugated. It is difficult to talk about the predominant color in the color of the leaves - they are very variegated. Both multi-colored and single-color forms are common in culture.

Some varieties of Coleus Bloom:

— Saber(dwarf variety)
— The Chief(folded leaves)
— Butterfly(wavy leaves)
— Firebird
— Golden Bedder(yellow)
— Volcano(Dark red).
— Scarlet Poncho
— Milky Way
— Fashion Parade
— Coleus pumilus

Currently, new varieties are being grown in the rooms: Colosseus nanus- 30 cm high with beautiful leaves; Laciniatus- with cut edges of leaves. Both varieties are rare and extraordinary. Propagated by cuttings.

There are varieties used in flower beds as carpet plants: Gero- with dark purple leaves and Yulke- with velvety red leaves with a golden border.

Highly decorative hanging garden forms and varieties were obtained from Coleus rehneltianus . Homeland - Sri Lanka. From crossing with other species, the best varieties of ampelous forms for rooms in winter were obtained: Reneltianus and Reneltianus superbus with beautiful brown-red leaves with a greenish border and blue flowers.

Coleus parviflorus

Coleus verschaffeltii. The largest and most colorful leaves. It is highly decorative. The leaves are velvety dark red leaves with a green edge.

Coleus religious rutabag

Coleus edulis

Coleus frederici

Coleus thirsodies

Coleus shirensis

Coleus care

Lighting. Coleus is a light-loving plant; it prefers bright light. Depending on the color of the leaves, it requires different amounts of light - varieties with bright (for example, red, white and almost white) leaves are able to tolerate direct sunlight better than varieties with green leaf color. Plants are suitable for growing near windows with southern, western and eastern exposure. In spring and summer, there may be a loss of color (burning) and turgor in the leaves, associated with exposure to excessive amounts of sunlight. For this reason, plants should be shaded from the midday sun. In addition, coleus are gradually accustomed to direct sunlight to avoid sunburn.

Temperature. Coleus is relatively unpretentious to temperature; in summer it can fluctuate between 16-25°C. In winter, at low temperatures (below 12°C), the plant can shed its leaves and rot, which will lead to its death, so the plants are kept at 16-22°C. Intense heat in summer leads to a loss of turgor in the leaves.

Watering. From spring to autumn, apply plenty of soft, slightly warm water, as the top layer of the substrate dries. If tap water is hard, you should use rain water. In winter, watering is moderate, but do not allow the clod of earth to dry out. Coleus react very sharply to the lack of moisture in the soil - the leaves become flabby. In case of cool conditions (14-16°C or lower), the plants are watered occasionally.

Air humidity. For normal existence it must be high. It is recommended to regularly spray coleus leaves with settled soft water at room temperature. In winter, coleus are in a state of relative dormancy and hardly grow. It is best to keep them in the kitchen, as in the warmest room with more or less high humidity.

Fertilizer. In spring and summer (during periods of intensive growth), fertilizing with organic or mineral fertilizers is useful, preferably potash (0.3-0.5 g per 1 liter of water) once a week. In winter, the concentration of the solution is reduced by half and fertilized once every 3-4 weeks.

Bloom. Coleus flowering is not very decorative: small, inconspicuous flowers with a two-lipped corolla with a blue-violet upper and whitish lower lip are collected in complex spikes. The formation of flowers takes a lot of energy from the plant, which is why the leaves become smaller, so it is better to remove the buds.

Features during cultivation. To enhance bushiness, it is recommended to pinch the apical shoots of coleus. In February, coleus should be cut to the stump, leaving 5-8 eyes for new growth.

Transfer. If coleus is grown as an annual, it is not replanted. In other cases, replanting of overgrown plants is carried out once every 2-3 years. The substrate for transplantation is slightly acidic or neutral (pH 6-7). A mixture of turf, deciduous and humus soil, sand and peat in a ratio of 4:4:2:1:1 is suitable. The bottom of the pot needs good drainage.

Reproduction. Coleus are propagated by seeds and mainly by cuttings, in order to avoid splitting and loss of decorativeness of the leaves.

The seeds are small (3500 pieces in 1 g), they are sown in February-March-April in bowls and sprinkled with sand on top. Keep at a temperature of 20-22°C. Shoots appear on the 14-18th day. Seedlings are planted in bowls or boxes at a distance of 2x2 cm. Composition of the soil: leaf - 1 part, peat - 1 part, turf - 1 part, sand - 1 part. In the phase of 1-2 pairs of leaves, plants are planted in 7 cm pots, 1 copy each. The composition of the earth is the same. After a month they are transferred into 9-11 cm pots. The main care of plants consists of watering and keeping them in a lighted place, since the intensity of the color of the leaves largely depends on the lighting (sun rays). Young plants are pinched for branching purposes. After 5-6 months, plants become important for decorating rooms.

Plant cuttings begin in February (cuttings are taken until May). The cuttings are planted in distribution boxes or directly on a rack in the sand. Rooting occurs within 8-12 days. Rooted cuttings are planted in 9 cm pots. The composition of the soil is the same as for picking. In order to obtain branched plants, pinch the tops of the shoots. When caring for plants, watering, ventilation, a temperature of 16-18°C, a bright, possibly moderately sunny location are provided (with significant solar insolation, curling of the edges of the plate and discoloration of the leaf color are observed; discoloration is observed at high temperatures at night and low during the day). Coleus are characterized by intensive growth - within 3 months they are branched plants with large leaves. Then they are transferred to 11 cm pots.

Possible difficulties

The bottom of the stem is exposed− lack of lighting, untimely pinching, this is a common occurrence for adult plants.

Leaf color fades− insufficient lighting.

Falling leaves− lack of moisture.

With a lack of heat and excessively dry air plants are susceptible to diseases.

With sudden temperature fluctuations the plant may die.

Damaged

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Coleus stands out among the variety of indoor plants with its colorful foliage. Unusual combinations of contrasting shades allow you to create bright compositions on your windowsill. Not every flower can compete in beauty with this plant.

Easy maintenance indoors is a pleasant bonus.

Coleus is a small shrub(up to a meter high) with well-branched shoots. Its stems have a geometric shape of a trihedron or tetrahedron. At the base the bark becomes woody, and at the top it remains green.

The oval-heart-shaped leaves grow in pairs. Their apex is pointed, with symmetrical teeth along the edges. Finely villous pubescence is barely visible on the surface, for example, in the Coleus Faust variety. Their color is variegated in shades of red and green (depending on the variety).

A description of coleus will remain incomplete without mentioning its flowering: small buds are painted blue or pink and are collected at the top of the trunk into an inflorescence-spike.

Popularly, due to the external resemblance of the leaves and trunks to nettles, the flower received the nickname “coleus-nettle”. The size of the plant, depending on the variety, can be from 30 to 100 cm in height, and the crown is easily formed by pruning.

Popular types and varieties of coleus

According to the new classification, there are more than 300 species of coleus in nature. They grow in forest areas in Asian and African territories.

Interesting! In their natural habitat, local residents use plant tubers for food.

There are varieties with both large leaves more than 10 cm in length, and small-leaved varieties. The latter are also bred in garden plots: the plant is resistant to temperature changes and has a rapid crown growth.

The most popular coleus (varieties and types, photos) are described in detail below.

Blume

The most common species among all coleus. It can reach a meter in height. The basis of the lush crown are strong trunks with 4 hard edges.

The leaves have a classic shape - ovate with a sharp tip. The colors are varied and depend on the variety. The most popular combination is yellow-light green edges and a bright crimson core.

Coleus bloome can change the intensity of leaf color depending on temperature and light. The plant loves an abundance of sunlight and warmth, and in return will delight with its bright flowers. In the same time Coleus will need frequent watering and well-drained soil.

If you have a summer cottage, then the flower can be transplanted into open ground in May–June, and moved back indoors in August. At the same time, coleus will become as attractive as possible over the summer.

The optimal method of propagation is cuttings.

Carefully! Coleus bloome is toxic; if parts of the plant are ingested, it can make you feel worse and cause hallucinations.

Therefore, children and animals should not be allowed near it, and all work must be done with gloves.

Wizard

Coleus is often used in landscape design (photo), which forms the lower tier of flower beds and, of course, decorates window sills.

The color of the leaves combines several bright colors. The classic Rose variety has a crimson center surrounded by muted burgundy coloring, and the edges are contrasted with rich green color. The teeth are smoothed and have a semicircular shape.

Coleus wizard grows very quickly and needs frequent replanting.

Hybrid

The litter was bred by breeders from Coleus bloome. It is distinguished by an even greater ability to change colors depending on the conditions of detention. With a lack of lighting, the leaves are colored green, and after constant exposure to the sun they become burgundy or purple.

Black dragon

An unusual look for lovers of rare colors. Leaves look like dragon scales, which gave it its name - a burgundy middle and a dark, almost black edge of the leaves. The plate itself has large grooves and pronounced notches, its surface is covered with small fibers and does not tolerate frequent spraying.

The plant is compact in size, up to half a meter tall.

Renelta

The tropical forests of India and Sri Lanka are considered the homeland of Coleus Renelta.

Refers to ampelous plants, the shoots of which reach half a meter and grow mainly horizontally. The leaves are elongated in shape with a purple-burgundy color scheme in the center and green on the periphery.

Cantigny Royale

Coleus Cantigny Royale is distinguished by its miniature size and dark purple leaf color.

Tilt a Whirl

The Tilt a Whirl variety of coleus is original with twisted leaf plates and elongated teeth along the edges in the form of needles.

Watermelon

Coleus Watermelon means "watermelon" in English. It got its name for its juicy color, similar to a slice of watermelon.

Lemon Chiffon

Lemon Chiffon coleus combines a light green edging and a bright pink core of leaves.

Coleus Solar Flare resembles flames: the dark core is surrounded by a red-orange border, the edges of the leaves are bright yellow.

Stormy Weather

Coleus Stormy Weather is speckled with yellow, green and burgundy.

Fishnet Stockings

Fishnet Stockings coleus is light green with purple-burgundy veining.

Pele

Coleus Pele - yellow leaves with small purple dots throughout.

Henna

Coleus Henna - a wine-yellow combination of leaf color and sharp, elongated cloves.

Gilda

Coleus Gilda has lacy leaves with wide notches and a beige-pink edge.

Coleus care at home

Although coleus can grow in the garden, it dies even in southern latitudes at winter temperatures below 5 °C. Therefore, every owner of this plant needs knowledge about the rules of care at home.

Lighting

For the brightness of the leaves, coleus needs abundant sunlight, so the plant is placed on a windowsill in the eastern or southern part of the room. In low light, some species' colors fade and growth slows, for example, the Bonnie Gold variety.

The duration of illumination should be 12 hours. If there is a lack of daylight, you will have to install artificial lamps with a white spectrum of rays.

Temperature and humidity

Coleus vegetative should be kept at temperatures above 20 °C, but below 28 °C. When the thermometer reaches 30 °C, the plant begins to shed its leaves. It is undesirable to allow this, since the coleus may not come out of this state and die.

In winter for 2–3 months you need to create conditions for a period of rest: lower the temperature to 15 ° C. The minimum temperature to maintain a decorative appearance is 10 °C. If the thermometer drops below, the coleus also sheds its leaves and dies.

Not only seasonal temperature fluctuations are important, but also daily ones. If the difference between day and night temperatures is more than 7 degrees, then the plant begins to go into a state of hibernation. This circumstance should be taken into account in winter and drafts should be avoided. A in summer, when keeping a plant on a balcony or in a garden, cover the pot on cold nights or return indoors.

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Coleus prefers high humidity - not lower than 70%. To this end the plant is sprayed with settled water at room temperature. Some species react negatively to spraying and require other methods of increasing humidity. For example, place the pot on a stand and place a wide cup of water underneath.

Another way is to place the pot on a pallet 2-3 times the diameter of the base, and cover it with expanded clay. Periodically add water to the tray as it evaporates.

Watering

The frequency of watering depends on the time of year. The plant needs abundant moisture throughout the active growth period - from spring to autumn. Do not allow the soil to dry out. If the pot is not on a tray with expanded clay, then the excess liquid is drained from it after watering.

Advice! If you urgently need to water a flower, but there is no settled water, then you need to take boiled water at room temperature.

It is important that the water for irrigation is soft. To do this, it is left to stand in an open container for at least 3 days. With constant watering with hard water, the soil will quickly become alkaline, which will lead to problems with the leaves.

In winter, at temperatures above 18 ° C, watering is carried out weekly. At lower thermometer readings near the window - half as often.

Top dressing

Throughout the spring and summer, coleus is actively fed every week. At first fertilizers should consist of nitrogen, which stimulates foliage growth. At the beginning of summer (or when buds appear), complex mineral fertilizers are used.

Trimming

Pruning is carried out in early spring or before applying the first fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizer. Withered trunks are removed and a beautiful crown is formed. The top 1/3 or even 1/2 of the elongated shoots are cut off, which promotes the beginning of the growth of lateral branches.

Throughout the growing season, excess shoots can also be trimmed. If you do not plan to propagate coleus by seeds, then released flowers must also be removed immediately. Large energy consumption for flowering can provoke plant disease and loss of decorativeness.

Transfer

The soil for replanting is selected with an acidity of 6–7 pH and a predominance of nitrogenous components. When preparing the soil yourself, you need to take the following components:

• 4 parts each of turf and leaf soil;
• 2 parts humus;
• 1 part peat and sand each.

Before planting, the soil is disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate.

The pot is selected to be of equal width and height. For 1–3 young sprouts, a container with a diameter of 10 cm is enough. Subsequent flowerpots increase in diameter by several centimeters.

Transplantation is carried out annually into a new substrate and a larger pot using the transfer method.

Coleus: methods of propagation and planting features

Coleus can be propagated using cuttings during regular pruning or seeds.

Seeds for propagation can be obtained from a house plant after flowering. Seeds are sown in the spring in the ground for adult coleus or for seedlings:

1. Cover the ground with film or a jar (bottle).
2. Seeds do not need light for germination, but the temperature is required within 18...20 °C.
3. When 2 leaves appear, it’s time to pick up the coleus.
4. For watering from this time, you need to add nitrogen-based fertilizers to stimulate growth.
5. The plant is transplanted into an adult pot with 6 leaves.
6. It is necessary to fertilize a young plant with nitrogen before the flowers appear, and then switch to mineral fertilizers. To preserve the strength of the coleus, the first flowers are cut off immediately.

Propagation by cuttings

In the spring, when pruning the plant, the apical areas with 3–4 pairs of buds are selected. The lower leaves are removed from the stem, leaving only the upper ones. The cuttings are placed in clean water on the window. You can expect roots to appear in 2 weeks.

Main problems during cultivation and ways to solve them

Yellowing of the tips of the leaves is associated with a lack of moisture in the soil and air.

Yellowing and falling of the lower leaves is observed with infrequent watering, hard water or a lack of nutrients in the soil.

Coleus rotting is caused by overwatering or insufficient drainage layer at the bottom of the pot.

Interesting! Signs and superstitions say that the wilting of a bush indicates a serious illness in one of the household members.

It is believed that the plant takes on part of the negative energy of the disease, but is not able to fully cope with it.

The coleus flower belongs to the genus of the Lamiaceae family (also known as Lamiaceae), which has more than 150 species. The name of the plant is derived from the Greek “kleos” - case. The tropics of Africa and Asia are considered the homeland of coleus.

Amateur gardeners also call coleus the “poor man's croton,” because its variegated leaves are similar to the foliage of this plant, but they look a little simpler. However, new varieties of coleus are able to compete not only with croton, but also with many popular expensive flowers. In addition to its variegated foliage, coleus has the great advantage of being easy to care for.

Description of Coleus

Coleus has a ribbed, tetrahedral stem that becomes woody at the base. The leaves are heart-shaped, pubescent, toothed, opposite, can be small, and in some species the foliage reaches a length of about 15 cm.

• Coleus is popularly called “nettle”, because its leaves and stems are similar in shape and structure to nettles.
• The color of coleus foliage is varied - various combinations of green with burgundy, yellow, and red tints. The flowering of coleus is unremarkable and does not cause much interest: small flowers of a blue or purple hue are collected in a spike-shaped inflorescence.
• The peduncle can be cut off so that the plant does not lose its decorative appearance.
• Most types of coleus are grown for the amazing beauty of their leaves, but there are types and varieties of coleus with quite interesting flowering.

How to sow garden coleus for seedlings

Coleus is popular for its variegated foliage and ease of care. The main thing is that it can be grown both indoors and in gardens. It reproduces well by seed; various seeds of interesting English, Dutch and many other varieties are available in flower shops.

• Sow seeds at the end of March in flat boxes.
• You can sow in the winter, but you will have to create artificial lighting in the fall and winter.
• Choose fertile, light soil.
• It is best to take a flat container for sowing.
• Spread the coleus seeds singly, not in groups, on the surface of the soil, spray them with a spray bottle, do not deepen the seeds, but lightly sprinkle them with sand, as if salting them.
• Build a greenhouse, cover it with glass or film, place the container with the crops in a warm, dark place. Keep the soil moist.

Purchased seeds germinate well; literally every seed can germinate. The seeds will sprout quickly - in a week, maximum 10 days. When the first shoots appear, the cover must be removed and the greenhouse must be moved to a lighted place, preferably to a western or eastern window. Protect tender seedlings from direct sunlight. Maintain a temperature of 17-19 ºC.

Once the coleus are 3-4 weeks old and the first pair of true leaves have appeared, transplant the coleus into separate cassettes so that a strong root system can develop that can withstand subsequent transplanting into the ground. Young plants at the age of 5-6 weeks are transferred to spacious cups and pinched to stimulate branching.

How to grow coleus, watch the video:

Planting coleus in the ground

Coleus in open ground with the establishment of real heat. Choose a brightly lit place, but slightly shaded during the midday hours, the area should be protected from the wind. Prepare the holes, fill them with fertile air- and water-permeable soil, plant coleus from cups into the holes.

Planting coleus does not require special knowledge and skills, especially if you grow it as an annual. It is unlikely that it will be possible to grow it as a perennial, because after a couple of years the bushes degenerate, and during the winter the coleus will need to be dug up and brought indoors in order to be planted in the ground again in the spring.

Caring for coleus in the garden

• First of all, it is necessary to water regularly, especially in dry summer weather.
• Water preferably with settled water. You can install a tub or barrel in the garden to hold tap water and accumulate rainwater.
• After watering, loosen the soil and remove weeds.
• To make coleus bush more strongly, you can pinch the tops of the variegated beauty a couple of times during the summer.

During the period of active growth, apply a high nitrogen content once every 10-12 days. This will encourage vigorous foliage growth and delay early flowering. Peduncles must be removed immediately, because they take away the strength of the nettle.

Growing indoor coleus from seeds

Indoor coleus, like garden coleus, reproduces by seed and vegetative methods. Seed propagation occurs in exactly the same way:

• Sow into a wide, shallow container with drainage holes in the bottom to a depth of 0.5-1 cm as little as possible. You can scatter it over the surface and lightly sprinkle it with earth.
• Spray from a spray bottle, cover with a transparent lid, glass or bag, ventilate daily, water through a tray or from a spray bottle.
• When the shoots appear, remove the cover.
• Maintain moderate humidity and good lighting.
• Pick up seedlings at the stage of 2-3 true leaves into separate cups, and after growing, plant them in permanent pots using the transfer method.

How to grow coleus from cuttings

• cut small, about 10-12 cm.
• Remove the leaves from the bottom, stick the cutting into moist soil or sand, cover with film or a cap from a cut plastic bottle, place in the shade and maintain the temperature at 18-20ºC.
• After 8-10 days, roots will appear, and when the first shoots appear, you can transplant the seedling into a permanent pot.
• You can simply root in water, and when roots appear, plant them in pots.

This type of propagation is simple and reliable, allowing you to quickly get strong new plants.

Coleus care at home

Watering and fertilizing

Abundantly settled with softened water at room temperature. Spring and summer are the most important times to maintain watering. During this period, you also need to fertilize weekly. Apply mineral fertilizers in half the doses recommended in the instructions. In winter, it is enough to feed once a month.

Air humidity

In the warm season, regularly spray coleus, but do it not in direct sunlight, but take the plant into the shade. The best way to maintain air humidity in winter is to periodically place a flower pot on a tray with damp expanded clay. If the coleus is not an ornamental flowering plant, the spike with flowers must be removed.

Pinching and trimming

During active growth, coleus must be constantly pinched to stimulate branching. After winter dormancy, in order to renew the plant, you need to cut off all the shoots at a height of 5-7 cm. The shoots obtained during pruning can be used as cuttings, because there is a risk that last year’s flower will not justify your efforts and will lose its decorative appearance.

The video will tell you how to form a coleus bush:

Coleus plant care problems, diseases and pests

Important points:

• If you do not pinch and trim the coleus in time, the shoots will noticeably stretch out. The same situation will occur with a lack of light or when the plant gets old.
• Very bright lighting will lead to fading and discoloration of foliage.
• with a lack of moisture, as well as with waterlogging, the result is the same: the foliage will begin to fall. Pay attention to what you are doing wrong.

Coleus can be damaged by spider mites, aphids and whiteflies. Yellowed and shriveled leaves will indicate the appearance of aphids - you can treat the above-ground part of the plant with a soap solution, do not forget to cover the soil so that the soap does not get there. After a week you can repeat the procedure. For garden coleus, this procedure can be problematic, so it is better to treat it with insecticides. A soap solution will not help against other pests - also use insecticides. The use of chemicals will not add health to the plant, so ensure proper care and no diseases or pests will disturb the flower.

Wintering coleus

Garden coleus is grown as an annual. But, in order not to lose the plant, you can dig it up and bring it into the house, caring for it like an indoor flower. By winter, you need to gradually reduce watering, fertilize once a month. Maintain the air temperature between 8-15 ºC.

Types and varieties of coleus with photos and names

Coleus hybrid Coleus x hybridus ‘Japanese_Giant’ photo

Most often grown as a houseplant. This species is completely unpretentious. The stem has a square cross-section and reaches a height of up to one meter. The leaves are elongated oval in shape, with serrated edges. Depending on the lighting, the color of the leaves changes: in the shade it is green, and in the sun it is burgundy.

There are a great many varieties of hybrid forms; it is impossible to describe all the variety of shapes and colors, and each creation of breeders is distinguished not only by its beauty, but also by its resistance to diseases, excellent vitality and survival rate in any conditions.

Coleus rehneltianus

Originally from Sri Lanka. Grown as an ornamental hanging plant. Reaches a height of about half a meter. The leaves are wide, heart-shaped with a wavy edge, attached to long petioles, arranged oppositely. The foliage is decorated with veins of different colors - yellow, purple, brown, red.

Coleus Blumei Coleus blumeii

It is most popular among flower growers. A native of Southeast Asia. This is a subshrub, reaching a height of about 80 cm. The shoots become woody over time.

The best varieties of coleus, popular with us:

Black dragon: has ribbed leaves of a brownish-purple color with red veins;

Wizard Series:

Golden Wizard - has yellowish satin leaves;

Wizard Evening Dawn - fiery red foliage with a greenish border;

Coleus variety coral dawn Black Dragon Wizard Coral Sunrise photo

Wizard Jade - white foliage with a wide green border.

A wide variety of species and varieties will allow you to decorate your home all year round, and your garden in warm weather.