Coleus is perfect for planters. For one thing, it requires little care. Most varieties prefer shade, but some also do well in sun. Consult a professional or a detailed source of information to find out which varieties may work best for your planters and growing conditions. Give it a little water, and you won't have to do much else. Its leaves also come in a variety of colors and shapes. You could even fill several planters with nothing but coleus, due to the wonderful variety of this plant. It grows between one and four feet tall, and between one and three feet wide.
As you decide which types will work best for your planters, you may also want to consider their looks. The following descriptions may help you distinguish among the selections.
Dark Chocolate and Elwood Kalin coleus both offer a purplish look. Dark Chocolate displays solid purple leaves in tear-drop shapes. These leaves sprout from bright green stems. It grows well in both shade and sun. Elwood Kalin bears bright pink leaves, tipped in a ragged-edged band of purple. The leaves sprout at angles from each other, resulting in a layered, vaguely star-shaped appearance. Elwood Kalin prefers shade.
Three varieties (Mint Mocha, Sawgrass, and The Line) lean more toward a green look. Mint Mocha's spiky leaves combine a soft green and purple. Like the previous types, it grows best in shade. Sawgrass, however, usually can grow in the sun. It looks much different from other kinds. Elongated foliage offers dark green centers with fairly clean lines of white along the edges. The rounded ruffles give Sawgrass an almost lacy look. The Line looks simple. Leaves remain almost totally bright green. When you look closely, however, you discover a dark purplish spine that runs down the center of the foliage.
Finally, you can find coleus that displays a complex combination of colors, resulting in a variegated red-green-brown coloring. Henna coleus displays spike-edged foliage that blends maroon and chartreuse coloring. Dots blend these colors together; rather than a clean line between colors, you see a mottled effect. Some leaves look more green than red, with other leaves the reverse. Indian Summer mixes red, purple, emerald, and yellow inside ruffled edges. The result is a more colorful look. And like the Henna type, Indian Summer doesn't divide the colors into neat sections. It also prefers shade. Royal Glissade is rather different from both of these. Its new leaves come in bright green. Then, as they get older, they turn to a dark purple shade. So on the same plant, you may see leaves that are almost totally green, flecked with green and purple, bright purple edged in a green ruffle, and dusty purple. Unlike some of the other varieties, Royal Glissade can tolerate sun pretty well.
As you can see, coleus offers a wide variety of colors and looks. Combine this factor with the ease of care, and you can probably understand why this plant can turn out such a great pick for planters.
Author Resource:-
Todd Arend is a freelance writer who enjoys outdoor getaways. He writes about planters and outdoor furniture.
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