Self Sowing Coleus in the Garden

I love surprises in the garden.  Plants that pop up where you least expect them – unfortunately those are usually called “WEEDS.”  Sometimes though we find plants of value that pop up.  Here are a few pictures of some self-sown coleus plants that came up in my front garden this year.  I grow coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) every year but have started growing it from seed myself rather than buying it at a nursery.  I save the seed each fall and sow the coleus from what I have collected.  I only collect from the coleus that impresses me in some way.  I collect seeds from plants that either have a unique shape, color, or large leaf size.

The leaves on this coleus are very large.  Possible 6 inches wide on the largest leaves and about 8 inches long.  The coloration is good too.  Just a little lime green on the leaf edges but mostly the red-orange tint throughout the leaf.  The veining is a darker shade of red.

This one is mostly green with some interesting variegation in the center of the leaves.  You can see a slight pink central vein down the middle.

Growing Coleus in the Garden

Coleus needs very little care once established.  It need regular watering in the dry months but bounces back quickly if it gets too dry.  Pinch back the leaves at the stem tips to make bushier plants. Every time you pinch the stem tips it encourages branching at the nodes along the stem. Quit pinching later in the season to allow it to set seed for collecting or sowing.  

Most coleus likes shade but newer hybrids are developing a tolerance to increased sunlight.  Coleus is a perennial in tropical locations but in most places must be grown as an annual, houseplant, or as a movable potted perennial you can bring indoors when cold weather comes.

Coleus Is EXTREMELY Easy to Propagate

Coleus is probably one of the easiest plants to propagate. If you want a cheap way to fill in a shade garden area or would like to bring coleus indoors you can take cuttings and root them. To do that take a 2-3 inch cutting and either stick it in a rooting medium to keep most or pop your coleus into a jar of water and root.

You don’t have to use rooting hormone on coleus at all but adding a little rooting hormone to the cut end of the stem may speed rooting.

Here’s a video I did where I took some various cuttings including coleus. It’s extremely easy and roots should form in less than a week.