Coleus or Painted Nettle

(Lamiaceae [also known as Labiatae] - Mint Family)

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• Form
  • small- to medium-sized herbaceous annual
  • cultivars are variable from 8" to 24" tall with a similar width, but taller when grouped together in mass plantings in the shade
  • upright pyramidal to upright rounded growth habit

• Culture
  • partial sun to full shade
  • performs best in partial shade in moist, well-drained, moderately rich soils, with occasional watering during the dry periods of Summer, but tolerant of average soils, soils of various pH, heat, and occasional drought (with wilting of the foliage)
  • propagated primarily by seeds, but also by rooted stem cuttings
  • Mint Family, with few disease and pest problems
  • abundantly available in flats or seed packets
  • pinch away lateral and terminal inflorescences to promote continued vegetative growth and vigor
  • foliage and upper stems will wilt during the dry periods of Summer, but will recover during the evening or with irrigation

• Foliage
  • usually a highly variegated mixture of green, cream, red, purple, burgandy, and/or pink
  • leaves range from 3" to 8" long, being opposite, ovate, short-petioled, and with prominently crenate margins

• Flowers
  • 6" long, thin, spike-like, and ornamentally insignificant inflorescences are light purple-blue in color, at the terminus of each central and axillary shoot
  • potentially in bloom from July through early October, but inflorescences should be pinched out whenever possible (live-heading, as opposed to dead-heading) to encourage further vegetative (foliage) growth

• Fruits
  • ornamentally inconspicuous (if flowers are not removed)

• Twigs
  • thick square stems (characteristic of the Mint Family)

• Trunk
  • not applicable

• ID Summary
  • large, opposite, ovate, crenately-margined leaves have a kaleidoscope of colors, prominently displayed in shady sites as a foliage annual, with square stems and ornamentally insignificant spike-like inflorescences of light purple-blue color

• Function
  • beds, foundations, borders, planters, hanging baskets, or containers (all need to be in shade with adequate moisture)

• Texture
  • bold texture
  • thick density

• Assets
  • brightly-colored and highly variegated foliage
  • performs best in shady sites
  • bold texture

• Liabilities
  • foliage wilts with drought or with too much sun exposure
  • one of the first annuals (along with Impatiens) to be stunted or killed by light frosts

• Habitat
  • annual, being damaged and killed with the earliest frosts
  • native to Java

• Alternates
  • annuals (for foliage or flowers) that thrive in the shade (Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum, Caladium x hortulanum, Impatiens wallerana, etc.)
  • colorfully-foliaged annuals that may serve as companion plants in full sun (Amaranthus tricolor, Canna x generalis 'Pretoria', Hypoestes phyllostachya, Salvia officinalis 'Tricolor', etc.)
  • foliage perennials for shady spots (Doronicum, Hosta, Polemonium, Pulmonaria, Symphytum, etc.)

• Variants
  • The numerous cultivars and series are bred for a multitude of foliage colors and patterns, dwarf or large growth habit, heavy axillary branching, fringed leaf margins, and most recently for tolerance of sunny conditions.
  • Cultivars of Coleus x hybridus are sometimes listed as cultivars of the species Coleus blumei.

• Translation
  • Coleus translates as "sheath", referring to the arrangement of the stamens into tubular form.
  • x hybridus refers to the hybrid origin of commercial cultivars.

• Purpose
  • Coleus is an annual with vibrant multi-colored foliage for shady situations.

• Summary
  • Coleus x hybridus is probably the best shade annual for bright multi-colored foliage, performing best in partial shade to full shade in evenly moist, rich soils.