On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 03:30:41 GMT, Sam wrote:

Elizabeth wrote:
Coleus comes to mind.

As luck would have it, I was down at HomeDepot today (on other business)
and there was the sign "Assorted Varieties of Coleus ON SALE! $3.97) So
I picked one up! :-) Thanks for the info Elizabeth! Just one question:
Most info on this plant online indicates that it is an annual (i.e.
will die after one year), but the guy at HomeDepot (not their actual
assistants, this was another "customer" who happened to be a landscape
contractor) said that if this plant is kept in the shade, and in the
warmer climate of Los Angeles, it behaves as a perennial and won't die
at all. Now I am all confused and don't know what to think! Please
clarify!

Thanks as always!
Sam in Los Angeles

The guy at HD is correct. You can grow coleus as a house plant,
although it tends to get spindly without enough sunlight. If the
plants begin to look bad and send up numerous (ugly) flowers--you can
take cuttings and start over (I do this). There are hundreds of
varieties with different growing properties. Coleus are often used
in botany experiments and they are related to the mint family.