Coleus, Swedish Ivy & relatives · 1 genus covered
A large family best known for culinary herbs (mint, basil, rosemary, lavender), but represented in indoor ornamental cultivation primarily by Plectranthus — a genus that spans the vivid, rapidly growing foliage plant Coleus to the easy-going trailing Swedish Ivy. Coleus in particular offers a color range that rivals flowering plants, requires minimal care, and roots from cuttings almost instantly. The primary maintenance task: remove flower buds as they appear. Once Coleus flowers and sets seed, the plant declines and dies. Prevent it and the plant lives indefinitely.
One of the most colorful foliage plants available. The combination of leaf colors, including green, red, orange, yellow, purple, cream, and near-black in patterns that are genuinely complex, produces a visual impact that rivals flowering plants. Unlike most colorful foliage plants, Coleus performs better in bright indirect than direct sun, where the colors remain vivid without bleaching.
The Wizard and Kong series are the most widely sold for indoor use. Wizard is compact and bushy. Kong has much larger leaves and a more dramatic presence. Both require the same critical maintenance: remove flower buds the moment they appear. Coleus is monocarpic. It flowers, sets seed, and dies. Preventing this by pinching flower buds as they emerge extends the plant's life indefinitely.
Detailed CareTrailing, with round, scallop-edged leaves and a slightly waxy surface. Vigorous and easy, and one of the most low-maintenance trailing plants for indoor use. Tolerates lower light than Coleus. Produces small white to pale lilac flowers that are pleasant but not showy. Propagates almost as readily as Tradescantia — stem cuttings root in days. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
ToxicityThick, succulent-textured, strongly aromatic leaves with an oregano-like scent. Used in cooking across Caribbean, South Asian, and Southeast Asian cuisines. More drought-tolerant than most Plectranthus due to the succulent leaf tissue. Produces pale lilac flowers. Both an ornamental and a culinary plant. The aroma is released on brushing the leaves, a distinctive and pleasant characteristic. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
ToxicityTrailing stems with dark green, cream-edged leaves and a purple underside. More ornamental than verticillatus while being equally easy to grow. The purple underside catches light and adds depth to the display. Tolerates lower light reasonably well. Propagates from cuttings as readily as all Plectranthus.
ToxicityRound leaves with silver veining on a dark green ground and a vivid purple underside. The silver vein pattern is the primary distinguishing characteristic, more intricate than most trailing Plectranthus. Tolerates lower light than Coleus. Produces white to pale mauve flowers. Easy trailing plant for low-light positions where trailing options are limited.
Toxicity