Coleus is a green plant whose leaves are more beautiful than its flowers, easy to grow and lovely to look at.

Many gardening beginners may share a common frustration: they buy flowering plants that are supposed to bloom multiple times, yet they never see a second flush of flowers. In fact, this is not the plant's fault but a matter of care. And although some flowers can bloom all year round, getting them to actually flower repeatedly is hard in practice. So what can you do? Plants that are too difficult to grow do poorly, yet you still want to see beautiful greenery often. Actually, you can choose a flowering plant that is both easy to grow and attractive. Today, the editor will introduce just such a plant: easy to care for and highly ornamental.

Coleus is a plant in the Lamiaceae family. Its greatest feature is its brilliantly colorful leaves, which are even more beautiful than flowers, making it a plant grown mainly for its foliage. Observant readers may notice that this greenery is often seen in parks or along roadsides, usually used as decorative material for flower beds or courtyards.

In fact, if you plant it in a flower pot, it also makes a highly ornamental potted plant. Every year in June and July comes the flowering season of coleus, with small, bright blossoms, but its multicolored leaves are more beautiful than the flowers and can be enjoyed all year round.

Coleus prefers soil rich in humus. You can choose ordinary nutrient soil, or mix leaf mold and peat soil at a ratio of 3 to 1 to make the planting soil. Before planting, it is best to clear away the original soil, then tidy the roots appropriately, and it can be planted directly. When planting coleus, it is best to choose a pot with a slightly wider opening, because as a potted plant, coleus achieves the best visual effect when several colors are planted together.

Since coleus is a herbaceous plant, it has relatively high water requirements: too wet and it will rot at the roots, too dry and it will wither, so its ideal state is soil that is just slightly moist. Coleus is not demanding about fertilizer; adding a compound fertilizer or slow-release fertilizer once about every 2 months is enough.

Coleus likes sunny spots, because sunlight is what gives it such colorful leaves. Without enough light, the leaves will lose their luster and their special character. So during care, it is best to place it where it can enjoy plenty of sunlight, but it does not need overly intense direct sunlight, and some shading is also necessary. The best growing environment for coleus is 20 to 30°C, and in winter it is best to keep it above 10°C, otherwise it is easily damaged by cold, so in winter it is best kept indoors.

Propagating coleus from seed takes at least 4 months, so the editor suggests it is better to buy a finished potted plant. The price is not expensive either, and you only need to pick a pretty flower pot to have a potted plant you can enjoy in all four seasons.