What is a coleus flower?
Coleus are native to Southeast Asia and Malaysia. They are flowering plants. However, once the plant flowers and goes to seed, it has reached its life span and dies. So this is crucial: nip or pinch off the flowers in the bud if you want to keep your coleus growing and producing gorgeous, brightly pattered leaves.
How do you identify coleus?
Simple leaves are opposite with margins that may be crenate, serrate, undulate, lobed, etc. They are generally ovate and soft-textured. Coleus exhibits many colors and color combinations; patterns of pink, white, yellow, red, green, and maroon are common. The stems are square, becoming woody with age.
What does a coleus bloom look like?
Coleus blooms are a spike of tiny flowers ranging in color from pale blue (almost white) to purple. They are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds, which for some people is enough of a reason to let them form. If you have several you can cut them for an attractive blue bouquet.
What do coleus plants look like?
They have some of the most stunningly colored foliage—in combinations of green, yellow, pink, red, maroon, etc. Coleus also have a wide variety of leaf sizes and overall shapes. This means that no matter what area you are looking to put coleus, you can find one that will be perfect.
What is coleus used for?
Traditionally, coleus was used for numerous purposes including treatment of rashes, asthma, bronchitis, insomnia, epilepsy, and angina. Coleus is thought to act much like theophylline and has been studied as an effective bronchodilator.
What is coleus leaf?
coleus, any of several ornamental plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae), grown for the bright colours and patterns of their leaves. The plants were formerly grouped in the genus Coleus, but their taxonomy is contentious and molecular data suggest that the species are distributed across several genera.
What is coleus called?
Coleus scutellarioides, commonly known as coleus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae (the mint or deadnettle family), native to southeast Asia through to Australia.
What is coleus good for?
Overview. Coleus is a plant that has been used since ancient times to treat heart disorders such as high blood pressure and chest pain (angina), as well as respiratory disorders such as asthma.
What happens when a coleus flowers?
Coleus plant flowering begins as a signal that winter is coming and the plant should produce seed to continue its genetic dynasty. Flowering often leads to a rangy plant, however, so it is best to learn what to do with coleus blooms if you want to keep a compact, thickly leafed plant.
Do coleus have flowers?
Many gardeners are charmed by the spikes of tiny blue or white flowers produced on coleus at the end of the season. These little blooms make a charming cut flower or may be left to enhance the beauty of the plant. Once a coleus has flower spikes, though, it may become leggy and develop a less attractive form.
Are coleus flowers edible?
Coleus is not edible, the leaves are mildly toxic, and eating the foliage can cause gastrointestinal distress. Touching the plant can cause a slight allergic reaction in the form of dermatitis or a red rash.
What kind of leaves do coleus have?
Leaves are ovate to oblong toothed and frequently feature a mixture of colors and patterns including red, burgundy, and pink. This plant is grown for its multi-colored foliage. This plant has opposite, simple leaves on 4-angled stems. They are often blotched with various colors and patterns.
Are coleus poisonous?
Coleus plants aren’t poisonous to people but may cause mild gastrointestinal distress when ingested.
What happens if you let coleus flower?
Some gardeners leave the small flowers, but it’s best to pinch them off to direct more energy into stem and foliage growth. Coleus left to flower may lose vigor as the plant puts energy into seed production.
What are the parts of coleus plant?
Coleus is part of the mint family so it has the typical square stems and opposite leaves, as well as the spike-type flower stalks with tiny, usually lavender or white, tubular flowers. However, the flower spikes are usually thought as a negative attribute that is pinched out as they appear.