Coleus

Overview

Coleus is grown for its brightly patterned leaves in red, purple, green, and yellow. It roots easily from cuttings and fills shady spots quickly. It is not a food plant.

History

Native to Southeast Asia, coleus has become a common garden plant around the world and has gone wild on several Hawaiian islands.

Growing on Kauaʻi

• Grows best in partial shade with steady moisture.
• Keep it in pots or contained beds where you can stop it spreading.

Planting and propagation

• Root cuttings in water or moist soil.

Care and maintenance

• Pinch off flower spikes before they set seed.
• Trim regularly and don’t dump cuttings in wild areas.

Role in the guild

Use it only for color in pots or small contained beds near the house, not as a ground cover in the food forest.

Harvest

No harvest; pinch and trim for shape.

Uses

• Ornamental: colorful foliage.

Important caution

Coleus is rated High Risk in Hawaiʻi and has gone wild on several islands. Grow it in pots or a contained bed, remove flowers before they seed, and never dump cuttings outside the garden.

Problems to watch

• Spreading by seed and cuttings into wild areas.
• Slugs and mealybugs.

General guidance for Kauaʻi; conditions vary by site. Check any new plant at plantpono.org before planting.