Selection Guide

Feeling overwhelmed by the selection of beautiful coleus available? We hear that a lot! Some folks want to try coleus but are unfamiliar with the varieties and do not know where to begin. Others are familiar with the common varieties of coleus available in most garden centers but are looking to expand their horizons and buy something a bit more unusual. Taking into consideration the most frequently asked questions from our customers we compiled the following lists:

Coleus that can take sun:
Atlas, Beckwith’s Gem, Big Red, Blair’s Witch, Brilliancy, Bronze Pagoda, Darth Vader, El Brighto, Envy, Fiesta, Fire Dragon, Giant Fantasy, Grenadine, Haines, Hot Sauce, Inky Fingers, Japanese Giant, Kingwood Karnival, Kingwood Torch, Kiwi Fern, Kona Red, Lavender Lace, Louise, Max Levering, Olympic Torch, Paisley Shawl, Pat Martin, Peachy Keen, Pineapple Prince, Red Witch, Salmon Croton, Schizophrenia, Solar Flare, Solar Shadow, Solar Sunrise, Stormy Weather, Theatre Velvet, Trailing Garnet Robe, Trailing Red, Trailing Salamander, Yellow Splash

Coleus that can tolerate some sun:
Alabama Sunset, Alligator, Allison, Amazon, Autumn, Beauty of Lyon, Big Chief, Black Magic, Blackberry Waffles, Brocade, Burning Bush, Butter Crème, Camilla, Caracas, Careless Love, Cantigney Royale, Chartreuse, Chocolate Drop, Christmas Candy, Citron Ruffles, Colleen, Confetti, Copper, Crimson Ruffles, Dappled Apple, Defiance, Drama Queen, Eclipse, Elwood Kalin, Fack, Fire Fingers, Flirtin’ Skirts, Freckles, Fright Night, Gay’s Delight, Gold Brocade, Gold Giant, Grace Anne, Heart, Illumination, Inky Fingers, Jack of Diamonds, Jade Parade, Joker, Jungle Love, Large Marge, Lavender Lace, Lemon & Lime, Little Twister, Lord Voldemort, Louise, Mahogany Giant, Mama Mia, Mariposa, Max Levering, Mocha Mint, Mrs. Harding, Nugget, Olympic Torch, Oompah, Oxblood, Peach Torque, Pele, Peter Wonder, Picotee Pete, Pineapple Queen, Plum Frost, Plum Parfait, Purple Duckfoot, Purple Emperor, Raspberry Ruffles, Red Coat, Red Ruffles, Religious Radish, Religious Rutabaga, Rob Roy, Rosea, Ruby, Rustic Orange, Saturn, Saturn’s Rings, Say Cheese, Sedona, Shocking Pink, Sizzler, Smoldering, Songbird, Sorcerer, Sparkler, Spellbinder, Stained Glass, Strawberry Drop, Summer, Sunrise, Super Duckfoot, Theatre Velvet, The Boss, The Line, Tigerlily, Tilt-a-Whirl, Tommy Boy, Tooth or Consequences, Trailing Dark Heart, Trailing Queen, Trailing Rose, Victorian Ruffles, Violet Tricolor, Vulcan, Wild Lime, Wildstreak, Yin and Yang

Coleus that prefer protection from full, harsh sunlight:
Butter Kutter, Diane's Gold, Ghost Rider, Green Earrings, India Frills, Lemon Meringue, Lime Frill, Mary-ann-ee, Penney, Screaming Raspberry, Stella Red, Trailing Plum Brocade, Trailing Green Olives, White Fingers

Trailing Coleus:
Good for pot edges, hanging baskets, and window boxes
Plant 3-4 per pot for specimen plantings in pots, hanging baskets, and urns.
Trailing Psycholeus, Trailing Chocolate, Trailing Strawberry, Trailing Burgundy, Tell-tale Heart, Trailing Dark Heart, Trailing Garnet Robe, Trailing Green Olives, Trailing Plum Brocade, Trailing Queen, Trailing Red, Trailing Rose, Trailing Salamander

Mounding and Semi-Trailing Coleus:
Good for pot edges, garden-bed edging, hanging baskets, urns, and window boxes.
Plant 3-4 per pot for specimen plantings in pots, hanging baskets, and urns.
Aurora Black Cherry, Black Lace, Burning Bush, Butter Kutter, Cantigney Royale, Charley McCarthy, Crimson Ruffles, Dark Star, Eclipse, Fright Night, Ghost Rider, India Frills, Inky Fingers, Kiwi Fern, Lemon Meringue, Little Twister, Max Levering, Norris, Peter Wonder, Pink Chaos, Purple Duckfoot, Purple Emperor, Raspberry Ruffles, Rob Roy, Rosea, Royalty, Salmon Croton, The Flume, Thumbelina, Tilt-a-Whirl, Wildstreak

Medium and Large Specimen Coleus:
Plant 3 of one variety per 10”-12” pot for a high-impact display.
Alabama Sunset, Allison, Beckwith's Gem, Big Chief, Black Magic, Blusher, Bronze Pagoda, Careless Love, Chantilly, Felix, Filagree, Fire Dragon, Fireworks, Fishnet Stockings, Flamingo, Haines, Japanese Giant, Mariposa, Paisley Shawl, Peachy Keen, Pele, Pineapple Prince, Pineapple Queen, Religious Radish, Religious Rutabaga, Ruby Laser, Saturn, Saturn's Rings, Solar Flare, Solar Shadow, Solar Sunrise, Songbird, Stella Red, Tigerlily

Coleus Combinations – harmonic mixtures of color, size, and texture
Sometimes a combination will look fabulous when it is first planted and all of the plants are roughly the same size. Young plants can be deceiving, though. Some will take off and grow like gangbusters, while other will plod along slowly, taking the whole season to reach their ultimate size. Plant the two together and you will find that the gangbusters will overcome and possibly even kill a plodder before it has a chance to mature. For this reason we have put together a buying guide for those who would like suggestions as to what coleus go together both in size, color, and vigor. In most combinations we have three upright coleus and one mounding or trailing coleus in a variety of leaf shapes and textures.  Four coleus will amply fill a large pot. Minimum pot size should be 12" in diameter for medium combos and 15" diameter for large combos. The hanging basket combos will fill a 10 to 15 inch pot. Very large pots, kettles, urns, troughs, etc. may accommodate more than one set.
Combinations may also be planted in the ground as vignettes. If you want your plants grouped close together for a clumping effect plant them 10 - 12 inches apart. Space them farther apart if you want to grow them near each other but as separate individuals. Coleus look great planted in and around other plants in the landscape, including perennials such as hosta and daylilies or annuals such as impatiens and petunias.
Growing coleus in pots allows you to move them around to suit the occasion, fill in drab spots in the landscape, and swap out tired pots with a fresh display. Just make sure that the coleus are in reach of a water source or be prepared to take a watering can to them as often as necessary!
Remember – these combinations are only suggestions. The possibilities are endless! Results may vary according to growing conditions. Experiment! Browse the catalog and let your imagination soar!

Black Magic + The Line + Ruby Laser + Fright Night
Inky Fingers + Sorcerer + The Line + Trailing Garnet Robe
Grenadine + El Brighto + Purple Emperor + Trailing Red
Nugget + Jack of Diamonds + Filagree + Trailing Garnet Robe
Kiwi Fern + Defiance + Sorcerer + Wildstreak
Cranberry Sun + Peachy Keen + Allison + Trailing Plum Brocade
Fishnet Stockings + Laser Red + Fack + Cantigney Royale
Fireworks + Dappled Apple + Kona Red + Trailing Salamander
Ruby Laser + Sizzler + Stained Glass + Raspberry Ruffles
Daredevil + Eleanor + Glory of Luxembourg + Trailing Garnet Robe
Max Levering + Lemon Meringue + Dark Star + Trailing Red
Gay's Delight + Plum Parfait + Spellbinder + Trailing Garnet Robe
Red Coat + Felix + Valentine + Cantigney Royale
Stella Red + Solar Flare + Ringleader + Trailing Red
Amazon + Flamingo + Camilla + Trailing Rose 
Bronze Pagoda + Blusher + Golda + Burning Bush
Blackberry Waffles + Pele + Pat Martin + Cantigney Royale
Theatre Velvet + Stormy Weather + Brilliancy + Trailing Dark Heart
Mariposa + Mahogany Giant + Japanese Giant + Fright Night
Neon + Darth Vader + Dappled Apple + Trailing Salamander
Violet Tricolor + Summer + Apocalypse + Trailing Garnet Robe
Yellow Splash + Drama Queen + Paisley Shawl + Trailing Rose
Tobasco + Victorian Ruffles + Shocking Pink + Trailing Queen
Black Beauty + Chelsea Rose + Mrs. Harding + Trailing Garnet Robe
Gold Giant + Tigerlily + Midnight + Raspberry Ruffles
Fire Dragon + Fiesta + Blair’s Witch + Burning Bush
Solar Shadow + Green Giant + Autumn + Trailing Garnet Robe
Solar Sunrise + Giant Fantasy + Lemon Chiffon + Heart
Haines + Pineapple Prince + Beckwith’s Gem + Royalty
Butter Creme + Purple Haze + Big Chief + Trailing Red

Mounding or Trailing combos
Great for hanging baskets and urns
Plant 2 of each per basket or pot in alternating pattern
Eclipse + Trailing Rose
Dark Star + Lemon Meringue
Black Lace + Trailing Garnet Robe
Wildstreak + Burning Bush
Rosea + Trailing Rose
Cantigney Royale + Trailing Plum Brocade

Tallest Coleus:
Atlas, Darth Vader, Envy, Giant Fantasy, Gold Giant, Japanese Giant, Lavender Lace, Mahogany Giant, New Hurricane, Schizophrenia, Splash,  Stormy Weather

Smallest Coleus:
Butter Kutter, Cantigney Royale, Elwood Kalin, Fire Fingers, India Frills, Inky Toes, Little Twister, Thumbelina, Tiny Toes

Coleus with the largest leaves:
Atlas, Envy, Giant Fantasy, Gold Giant, Green Giant, Japanese Giant, Large Marge, Mahogany Giant, Mariposa, Peach Torque, Solar Shadow, Solar Sunrise, Violet Tricolor, Moonglow

Coleus with the smallest leaves:
Butter Kutter, Cantigney Royale, Trailing Burgundy, Trailing Chocolate, Elwood Kalin, Fire Fingers, Inky Fingers, Purple Duckfoot, Trailing Strawberry, Tell-tale Heart, Thumbelina (smallest), Trailing Dark Heart, Trailing Garnet Robe, Trailing Green Olives, Trailing Plum Brocade, Trailing Queen, Trailing Red, Trailing Rose, Trailing Salamander

Container plants that co-exist well with coleus:
Alternanthera, Bacopa, Banana, Begonia, Caladium, Calibrachoa, Canna, Colocasia, Fuchsia, Helichrysum, Heliotrope, Impatiens (all types), Ipomoea batatas (ornamental sweet potato), Ivy, Ivy Geraniums, Lamium, Nicotiana, Ornamental Grasses, Parrot's Beak (Lotus), Petunia, Scaevola, Setcreasea, Strobilanthus, Torenia, Vinca  

Rosy Dawn Garden Favorites
Even though we work with coleus 365 days a year, there are always a few that consistently take our breath away every time we see them! They aren't always the best sellers, either. We feel strongly that if people tried these plants they would be tickled pink!

Pam's Picks: Allison, Beckwith's Gem, Black Beauty, Black Lace, Blonde Bombshell, Burning Bush, Cranberry Sun, Felix, Jack of Diamonds, Mrs. Harding, Peachy Keen, Pele, Ruby Laser, Songbird, Tigerlily

Glenn's Picks: Allison, Chelsea Rose, Colleen, Elfers, Fire Dragon, Haines, Mariposa, Ruby Laser, Songbird, Stained Glass, Violet Tricolor, Vulcan