Coleus

Would you be interested in an easy-care shade loving plant that can also be grown as a houseplant? May I suggest Coleus, a member of the mint (Labiatae) family. The common name is "painted nettle" -- an excellent name for a plant with leaves that come in a multitude of colors from almost black to lime green and everything in between.

Coleus comes a a wide range of leaf shapes and colors. The plant produces a stalk of tiny blue flowers which most growers simply cut off. Coleus may be rooted just by placing a 3-4" tip cutting in a glass of water or in moist vermicullite, perlite or peat. If kept warm, they should root within a few days.

The basic rules to remember to keep Coleus looking good as a plant are:

1. Keep it above 55 degrees F at all times--it will promptly die if kept too cold.

2. Always keep the soil damp and the air around the plant humid. This may be accomplished by using humdifiers which are good for humans too or by setting the plant in a gravel tray with water just below the top surface of the gravel.

3. Inside, give it plenty of sun. This may seem strange since outside Coleus is a shade-loving plant. Remember that indoor lighting, even in a south window, is nearly always darker than the outside even in the shade.

Coleus is easy to grow from seed. Even the tiny seedlings will begin showing their "colors" which makes them a fun crop to raise. Many seed companies carry the seed. Some of my favorites are:

Park Seed which carries Brilliant, Fairway and Carefree mixes along with Jade Wizard and Wizard Velvet. While you visit Park Seed, you may want to sign up for their free garden tip newsletter.

Thompson & Morgan always has a wide variety of coleus offered. Their website was being updated when this article was written, but go to their home page to order their catalog. It's worth the wait to receive it and often has plant species not found in any other catalog.

The Burpee seed catalog also carries the wizard mix. While there, you may want to check out their regional newsreports.

Glasshouse Works features an outstanding collection of coleus. The website takes a bit of time to load because of the graphics. Be patient because you'll enjoy viewing their plants. Imagine how they would look in your garden this year.

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