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The Daily Insight

What grows well with coleus

Author

Gabriel Cooper

Updated on April 10, 2026

For the shade-loving plant, choose hosta, fuchsia, fern, begonia, impatiens, sweet potato vine, coral bells.For mix and match color, combine coleus with million bells, petunia, bacopa, lobelia, marigold, daisy, basically any flowering plants is an excellent choice.

What grows well with red coleus?

  • The interesting and colorful foliage of coleus makes it a no-brainer paired with other shade garden classics like impatiens.
  • Add texture to garden beds with this colorful combination of foliage and fine flowers.

Can you plant coleus and begonias together?

To bring a splash of tropical color to the garden, few plants can beat the brilliant foliage of coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) or the bright blooms of begonia (Begonia sp.). … Because coleus and begonia have similar growing requirements, they thrive alongside each other in a garden bed or container.

Where is the best place to plant coleus?

Plant coleus in a sunny or partly shaded spot, in moist but well-drained soil. Coleus are low growing, so they look best at the front of a border, combined with other bedding plants, or in pot on a patio. If you’re growing coleus as a house plant, grow it in a bright spot that gets a little direct sun.

What flower goes with coleus?

Pair inky-leaf coleus with Artemesia, Plectranthus, dusty Miller, and other silver-foliage plants. White alyssum flowers makes a lacy edge around rosy pink or chocolate-leaf coleus varieties. The green border around some coleus leaves matches perfectly with the chartreuse leaves of ornamental sweet potato ‘Marguerite’.

How do I make my coleus bushy?

You can make coleus bushy by routinely pinching the stems and leaves from the plant. Over time, the main stem or trunk of your coleus will become strong and support a larger, fuller plant. Regular feeding with a diluted liquid fertilizer can also promote growth.

Does coleus like sun or shade?

Some modern coleus varieties handle full sun, but most still flourish with at least dappled shade and direct sun limited to morning hours. Too much sun or intense midday rays leave foliage scorched and faded; too little light causes weak growth. A balance is important for coleus beauty and health.

Can you put coleus in the ground?

Loosen your soil well before planting so that the coleus can stretch their roots and expand as needed beneath the soil. A planting mix stirred into the soil (or organic matter or compost) can help enrich the soil as well. 4. … Don’t crowd your coleus and instead plant them a good 6 inches apart.

How far apart should coleus be planted?

Plants should stand 12 inches apart in the garden. Dig a hole for each plant large enough to amply accommodate the root ball. Set level with the surrounding soil.

Will coleus come back every year?

Taking a perennial to a location where cold winters kill it does not make it an annual. … Coleus is a perennial, a tropical shrub, that is not hardy except in warm, frost-free zones. Cannas are reliably hardy in the ground outside from around Zone 7 and upward (warmer.)

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Should you let a coleus flower?

Coleus plant flowering signals the end of the plant’s life cycle, and plants usually die soon after they are allowed to produce blooms. … You can just leave them on and enjoy the plant as an annual, or take steps to encourage thicker growth and continued life in a greenhouse or cold frame.

Is coleus toxic to dogs?

Like many other essential oils, the oil from the coleus is toxic to your dog and can be absorbed through the skin immediately, causing irritation and possible burns to the skin and depression of the central nervous system.

Can you plant coleus and impatiens together?

They are wonderful when used in combination with Coleus. As flower borders, the impatiens can add more color to the bright lush foliage of your coleus. The blooming flowers stand out perfectly from the leaves and present a perfect picture. Both white and red impatiens can be used for making this combination.

Are begonias the same as coleus?

Rex begonias provide similar color and size as coleus. They come in shades and mixtures of green, red, pink, purple, and silver. Although more limited in color than coleus, they make up for it with a variety of different leaf textures, shapes, and patterns.

What plant looks good with hostas?

Astilbe, ferns, geraniums, and shady-friendly bulbs are great companions for hostas. Two of our favorites: bleeding hearts and heuchera. Bleeding heart (dicentra) plants provide delicate flowers and elegant, arching branches — the perfect contrast to bold, shiny, or variegated hosta plants.

Will deer eat coleus plants?

Deer Resistant Plants: Coleus The deer-resistant coleus is a foliage plant — which means it is grown for the leaves rather than the blooms — that attracts butterflies and can grow in garden beds and houseplant containers.

Are all coleus shade plants?

Coleus has long been considered a shade plant but the best leaf color is achieved with morning sun and some degree of afternoon shade. Many varieties do well in both shade and part-sun. Some can take quite a bit of sun as long as they are not allowed to dry out.

Do deer and rabbits eat coleus?

Being a lush foliage plant, coleus is not resistant to rabbits, but a particular species, referred to as coleus canina (Plectranthus caninus), does deter rabbits. Coleus canina is hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11.

Will coleus survive winter?

Coleus is one of the most colorful plants for the garden or summer containers, and they add a wonderful tropical feel. They come in all kinds of color combinations too. One of the things I love the most is that they can survive inside over the winter. So you can save that beautiful foliage for years to come!

Can you propagate coleus from a leaf?

Remove the lower leaves, leaving the top set of four leaves. Any part of the cutting that will be below the surface of the water should be free of leaves. The cutting is now ready for rooting in water. Add coleus cuttings to fresh water to root.

Is coleus and Mayans the same?

Coleus plants are also known as Mayana and the painted nettle with their bright colors, a wide variety of foliage colors, leaf shapes and forms are easy to grow and durable.

Are Sunpatiens annual or perennial?

Impatiens ‘Sunpatiens Compact Orchid’ is a dense, mound-forming, well-branched perennial, usually grown as an annual, boasting masses of large, lavender-orchid flowers, up to 2 in.

Why is my red coleus turning green?

Your coleus plant is most likely turning green because it isn’t getting enough light to maintain its original color. Coleus plants need lots of sunlight to keep their color, so if they aren’t getting enough, you’ll need to give it more to restore their beautiful hues.

How long do coleus plants live for?

While the lifespan of an average coleus plant is one year, you can prolong its life by pruning. Watch out for any small flower buds and prune it before the flower buds bloom. This is because once the plant starts producing flowers and seeds it will soon die.

Are coleus slow growing?

The plants are fast growers, even in midwinter, and they look best when stems are short and leaves are overlapping. Cut back a coleus any time, as much as you like. It will respond to pruning by growing even faster.

Is coleus indoor or outdoor plant?

Although coleus is typically grown outdoors as an annual, its vibrant leaves provide many months of enjoyment indoors if growing conditions are just right. In fact, coleus plants respond well to potted environments. Read on to learn more about growing coleus as an indoor plant.

How do you keep coleus over the winter?

Place the pots in a sunny window, water regularly and pinch back the growing tips throughout winter to promote a fuller shape. In spring, gradually introduce the plants to outdoor conditions. Coleus is very frost-sensitive, so bring the plants inside if cold nights threaten.

When can coleus go outside?

Begin moving the coleus outdoors after all frost danger has passed and the average daily temperature remains above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Do coleus reseed themselves?

There are many plants that reseed themselves. Popular flowering plants that will come back year after year can include annuals, biennials and perennials. Annuals – popular annuals that reseed include forget-me-nots, coleus and marigolds.

Do coleus need to be pinched?

It’s easy: you just need to pinch them. It may seem counterproductive to cut back a plant that you want more of, but pinching many annual and tender perennial plants—like coleus—encourages branching and full, bushy growth.

Do hummingbirds like coleus?

Coleus, when allowed to flower and when paired with bright red and pink annuals such as impatiens or begonias will attract hummingbirds to your shade garden. … But, these small flowers are magnets for hummingbirds! If you let the coleus plants flower, hummingbirds will visit the plants often throughout the day.