Coleus seeds — foliage in every colour
Coleus is grown not for flowers but for its astonishing leaves — velvety foliage splashed, veined and edged in lime, burgundy, pink, bronze and near-black, bringing season-long colour to shade. It sits among our ornamental flower seed range, listed botanically as Coleus blumei. New to flowers? Our flower growing guide gets you started.
Few plants light up a shady spot like coleus — the calendar shows when to sow.
Colour for shade and containers
Happy in part shade where many flowers sulk, coleus is a star foliage plant for containers and shady beds, and pairs beautifully with our ornamental flowers for bold leaf-and-bloom combinations. For its botany, see Coleus blumei.
Growing coleus from seed
Sow under cover in spring, pressing the fine seed onto the surface as it needs light to germinate, and keep it warm. Plant out after the last frost into rich, moist soil in part shade, and pinch out the tips regularly to keep plants bushy — remove any flower spikes to focus energy on the leaves.
Planning a foliage or shade scheme? Here's where to look next.
Popular flower categories: Coleus blumei · Container Flowers · Ornamental Flowers · Annual Flowers · All Flower Seeds
At SeedsChoice, every order ships from Meppel, NL with fast, tracked EU delivery.
¿El coleus se cultiva por sus flores o por sus hojas?Por sus hojas — el brillante follaje de colores es el atractivo principal, y los tallos florales se suelen pellizcar para eliminarlos.
¿Crece el coleus en sombra?Sí — se encuentra más a gusto en semisombra, lo que lo convierte en una valiosa planta de color donde muchas flores no prosperan.
¿Cuándo debo sembrar semillas de coleus?Siembra bajo cubierta en primavera, presionando la semilla sobre la superficie ya que necesita luz. Consulta nuestro
calendario de siembra de flores para los tiempos.
¿Cómo mantengo el coleus tupido?Pellizca regularmente las puntas de crecimiento y elimina los tallos florales para estimular un crecimiento denso y frondoso.