Annual / color · North Texas care guide
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Nursery Pro tip: Color without flowers. Sun-tolerant varieties handle full sun with water.
Grown entirely for its leaves — lime, burgundy, pink, orange, chartreuse and endless combinations, from spring until frost. Sun-tolerant series now let you use it in bright beds, not just shade, and it roots from cuttings in a glass of water.
Check the tag: classic types want part to full shade, sun coleus takes full sun with enough water. Rich, well-drained bed with compost, or a pot. Space 12–18 in apart.
April, once nights stay above 50°F. Root Stimulator at planting and 2 inches of mulch.
Two or three times a week; it wilts fast and recovers if you catch it. Containers need daily water in July.
Slow-release at planting and a light liquid feed monthly — too much nitrogen mutes the leaf color.
Pinch the growing tips every few weeks for a fuller plant, and pinch off the flower spikes as they form — flowering signals the plant to slow down and stretch. Take cuttings in September to overwinter on a windowsill.
Frost kills it outright. Downy mildew in a cool wet spring; slugs and mealybugs occasionally. Leaf color washes out in too much sun for the variety.
Shade pots and beds with caladiums, begonias and impatiens; sun types with sweet potato vine and lantana.
Written for Rockwall's black clay, heat and winters by the Landscape Source team. Every yard is different — bring a photo by, or ask LS-Ai, and we'll tailor it to your spot.