Solenostemon Copinto Planter's Punch

The Coleus Copinto Planter's Punch is part of a line of Plectranthus with an upright and bushy habit, bearing cocktail-inspired names based on their colours. This variety, Planter's Punch, has uniquely shaped leaves, with deeply cut lobes. The texture is beautifully complemented by the colour and pattern that adorns them, in red bordered with lime-green. Of medium vigor, this variety has an upright habit, with a clean appearance. Coleus are frost-sensitive and can be grown as indoor plants or in the garden as annuals to decorate balconies and terraces. They are also highly appreciated in seasonal compositions and contemporary designs. Their exotic charm makes a big impact and they require little maintenance, preferring partial shade and moist soil.

Coléus, also known as Solenostemon and recently renamed Plectranthus, are plants related to Basil and Nettle. They belong to the mint family, as evidenced by their small bilabiate flowers with elongated lower lip, their fleshy square stems, and their toothed and hairy leaves on the underside. This genus comprises around sixty species of tender perennial shrubs, native to Asia and tropical Africa. Horticulture has produced numerous hybrids and cultivars, including many descendants of Solenostemon scutellarioides.

The Coleus 'Copinto Planter's Punch' forms an upright, dense and rounded clump, reaching about 40 cm (16in) in all directions in one season. The large leaves are slightly hairy, deeply lobed along the edges. The lamina is red, marbled with red-orange, and has a fine light green-yellow border. The flowering, which is late and sporadic in this selection, is discreet. It sometimes appears at the end of the season, in the form of small pale mauve-blue flowers. It is often recommended to remove these flowers so that the plants do not exhaust themselves producing seeds and maintain a generous foliage.

Coleus, sometimes called 'painted nettles' due to their incredibly diverse foliage, are irreplaceable for adding a touch of exotic beauty to any setting both in the garden and indoors, where they can live for several years. They prefer a partially shaded position, which can be found at the edge of a bed of tall perennials or shrubs, or in a cool rockery, exposed to the north or east, away from the scorching rays of the sun. They allow for creating small mosaic-like displays of colours and pair well with begonias in flower pots. The richness of their colours makes them somewhat challenging to combine; small ferns like Polypodium or purple heart (Tradescantia pallida) make good companions for Coleus Copinto Planter's Punch. They also pair particularly well with begonias in flower pots.

Note: Please be aware that our young plug plants are professional products intended for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, repot and store them in a sheltered place (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame) at a temperature above 14°C (57.2°F) for a few weeks before placing them outdoors once the risk of frost has passed.