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#1
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Coleus annual or prennial???
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 |
#2
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Coleus annual or prennial???
The plant commonly known as "Coleus" in the horticultural trade is not a
true Coleus at all. In fact, the genus Coleus is now obsolete and considered synonymous with the genus Plectranthus. The "Coleus" of the horticultural trade is actually Solenostemon scutellarioides and it is a tender perennial from Malaysia that is usually grown as an annual in temperate climates. It can be propagated from cuttings and grown for years in a greenhouse or indoors. Sam wrote in message ... 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 |
#3
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Coleus annual or prennial???
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. |
#4
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Coleus annual or prennial???
"Sam" wrote in message ... 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 Botanical nomenclature aside, most of the plants sold as Coleus are tender perennials which are grown as annuals in most areas of the country. In a frost free area of Los Angeles they will persist. In the coastal areas, some will tolerate full sun, inland they will prefer shade. -- elizabeth, Baton Rouge, LA ------------ former Sandog http://community.webshots.com/user/elott63 |
#5
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Coleus annual or prennial???
You are only partially correct, Phish.
The cultivated "Coleus" (Solenostemon scutellarioides) IS in the Mint family, Lamiaceae (Labiatae). There is only one species involved but hundreds of selected cultivars (not botanical varieties). All plants will grow spindly without enough light. They will do much better in a greenhouse. The flowers of Solenostemon are not at all ugly. They may be rather small and not showy by your standards but they are quite interesting and intricate, especially when viewed with a hand lens. They are designed to attract pollinators, not to impress you personally. The plants are often used in high school botany experiments to demonstrate photosynthesis and pigmentation. Phisherman wrote in message ... 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! $3.97) So I picked one up! :-) Thanks for the info Elizabeth! Just one question: Most info on this plant online indicates that it is an annual (i.e. will die after one year), but the guy at HomeDepot (not their actual assistants, this was another "customer" who happened to be a landscape contractor) said that if this plant is kept in the shade, and in the warmer climate of Los Angeles, it behaves as a perennial and won't die at all. Now I am all confused and don't know what to think! Please clarify! Thanks as always! Sam in Los Angeles The guy at HD is correct. You can grow coleus as a house plant, although it tends to get spindly without enough sunlight. If the plants begin to look bad and send up numerous (ugly) flowers--you can take cuttings and start over (I do this). There are hundreds of varieties with different growing properties. Coleus are often used in botany experiments and they are related to the mint family. |
#6
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Coleus annual or prennial???
Botanical nomenclature aside, ALL the plants sold as "Coleus" are tender
perennials. There are NO cold hardy species of Solenostemon or Plectranthus!! The succulent, aromatic and the showy flowering species of Plectranthus are very popular perennials in frost free parts of Florida and southern California, probably Louisiana too. The succulent ones do very well in full sun. The more herbaceous type will also thrive in full sun if given plenty of water. Elizabeth wrote in message news:fBQlb.100349$a16.78632@lakeread01... "Sam" wrote in message ... 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 Botanical nomenclature aside, most of the plants sold as Coleus are tender perennials which are grown as annuals in most areas of the country. In a frost free area of Los Angeles they will persist. In the coastal areas, some will tolerate full sun, inland they will prefer shade. -- elizabeth, Baton Rouge, LA ------------ former Sandog http://community.webshots.com/user/elott63 |
#7
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Coleus annual or prennial???
On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 03:30:41 GMT, Sam wrote:
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! What's your climate like? The leaves will be damaged by the slightest touch of frost, but the stems will hang on a little longer than extremely soft-stemmed plants like for example impatiens and begonias. However, it's been my experience that persistent nights below 45 degrees or so usually lead to root or stem rot. |
#8
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Coleus annual or prennial???
I agree. No cold hardy species of Solenostemon or Plectrantus. There are a
few Coleus x hybridus that are annuals even in frost free zones. Still, I believe most of what you will find locally can be grown as a tender perennial in most areas of Los Angeles. -- elizabeth, Baton Rouge, LA http://community.webshots.com/user/elott63 "Cereoid-UR12-" wrote in message . com... Botanical nomenclature aside, ALL the plants sold as "Coleus" are tender perennials. There are NO cold hardy species of Solenostemon or Plectranthus!! The succulent, aromatic and the showy flowering species of Plectranthus are very popular perennials in frost free parts of Florida and southern California, probably Louisiana too. The succulent ones do very well in full sun. The more herbaceous type will also thrive in full sun if given plenty of water. Elizabeth wrote in message news:fBQlb.100349$a16.78632@lakeread01... "Sam" wrote in message ... 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! $3.97) So I picked one up! :-) Thanks for the info Elizabeth! Just one question: Most info on this plant online indicates that it is an annual (i.e. will die after one year), but the guy at HomeDepot (not their actual assistants, this was another "customer" who happened to be a landscape contractor) said that if this plant is kept in the shade, and in the warmer climate of Los Angeles, it behaves as a perennial and won't die at all. Now I am all confused and don't know what to think! Please clarify! Thanks as always! Sam in Los Angeles Botanical nomenclature aside, most of the plants sold as Coleus are tender perennials which are grown as annuals in most areas of the country. In a frost free area of Los Angeles they will persist. In the coastal areas, some will tolerate full sun, inland they will prefer shade. -- elizabeth, Baton Rouge, LA ------------ former Sandog http://community.webshots.com/user/elott63 |
#9
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Coleus annual or prennial???
Coleus x hybridus is an obsolete name. The various plants formerly described
as species of Coleus involved in the hybridization are all now considered to be no more than selected leaf color forms of a single species correctly named Solenostemon scutellarioides. Elizabeth wrote in message news:N%Ylb.100516$a16.40488@lakeread01... I agree. No cold hardy species of Solenostemon or Plectrantus. There are a few Coleus x hybridus that are annuals even in frost free zones. Still, I believe most of what you will find locally can be grown as a tender perennial in most areas of Los Angeles. -- elizabeth, Baton Rouge, LA http://community.webshots.com/user/elott63 "Cereoid-UR12-" wrote in message . com... Botanical nomenclature aside, ALL the plants sold as "Coleus" are tender perennials. There are NO cold hardy species of Solenostemon or Plectranthus!! The succulent, aromatic and the showy flowering species of Plectranthus are very popular perennials in frost free parts of Florida and southern California, probably Louisiana too. The succulent ones do very well in full sun. The more herbaceous type will also thrive in full sun if given plenty of water. Elizabeth wrote in message news:fBQlb.100349$a16.78632@lakeread01... "Sam" wrote in message ... 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 Botanical nomenclature aside, most of the plants sold as Coleus are tender perennials which are grown as annuals in most areas of the country. In a frost free area of Los Angeles they will persist. In the coastal areas, some will tolerate full sun, inland they will prefer shade. -- elizabeth, Baton Rouge, LA ------------ former Sandog http://community.webshots.com/user/elott63 |
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