Coleus Plant Care

Coleus blumei

Basic Coleus Plant Care

These are one of the most colourful houseplants out there and really bring something special to every room. Below you will find our complete Coleus Plant care guide with everything you need to know to help your plant thrive!

Bright Indirect Light

I love the sunshine but too much direct light will damage my leaves.

Water Moderately

I don't like my soil to be too dry or too soggy. Little and often is what I'm after.

High Humidity

I thrive in humid environments so please mist my leaves every so often.

Draining Soil

I like a mix that includes peat moss and perlite as these prevent my roots from becoming water-logged.

Detailed Coleus Plant Care Information

Whether you're looking to make sure your Coleus Plant is in it's perfect conditions, or looking to see if one could work for your space. We've got you covered.

Coleus Plants need shade to survive

Coleus Plants don’t really like too much sunlight and do best in medium to low light areas. If you notice the variegation fading on the leaves then it will need a bit more sunlight. It’s all about getting the right balance.

Keep the soil moist but not soggy

Another thing to properly balance when caring for Coleus Plants is water. They like to have some moisture in the soil but will suffer from root rot if the potting mix gets waterlogged so keep an eye on how much you are watering.

Warm temperatures is a must

It might be difficult to grow Coleus Plants in cold parts of the world because they need warm temperatures to properly grow.

Up the humidity by misting

Coleus Plants will love you forever if you mist their leaves once a week. This should help keep the humidity up and stop the leaves from drying out.

Fertilisation is optional

Most of the time, Coleus Plants will get all the nutrients they need from their soil so there isn’t a need for fertilisation. You might also notice that the leaves lose some of their intense colour if you feed your plant often.

Propagate through stem cutting

It really couldn’t be easier to propagate your Coleus Plant. Simply take a few cuttings and place them in water. Regularly change out the water and you should see roots start to develop. We recommend propagating in spring to give the best chance of success.

Keep them away from pets

Unfortunately, Coleus Plants are toxic to pets so keep them out of reach of any animals that might try to nibble on the leaves.

Coleus Plant FAQs

Quick and simple answers to the most common questions we see about the Coleus Plant.

Yes absolutely! Coleus Plants indoors. In fact, they do really well growing in pots and if given the right care and if growing in the right environment, they’ll be thriving!

Yes, Coleus Plants are toxic and dangerous to ingest.

No, in fact Coleus Plants actually prefer more medium light levels and can get quite damaged if exposed to too much light. However, if you start to notice the leaves on your Coleus Plant fading, this can mean it needs more sunlight.

Coleus Plants like to have some moisture in the soil but will suffer from root rot if the potting mix gets waterlogged so keep an eye on how much you are watering and adjust depending on the seasons.

It’s actually not a requirement to fertilise your Coleus Plant. You can see plenty of new healthy growth without it.

Common Problems with your Coleus Plant

Here are some common issues that you might run into. It's important to diagnose any issues early to give your plant the best chance of bouncing back.

The most common reason why Coleus Plant may have developed brown leaves is underwatering. They are somewhat forgiving if you occasionally forget to water but overtime the leaves will go dry if you aren’t watering enough.

Simple Coleus Plant Care Requirements

It sometimes helps to take caring for your plants back to the basics, here's the key considerations that you should take into account when caring for your Coleus blumei.

These simple points should give you all you need to keep your plant happy and healthy for years to come.

Common Name	Coleus Plant
Latin Name	Coleus blumei
Light	Bright Indirect Light
Water	Water Moderately
Humidity	High Humidity
Soil Type	Draining Soil

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