Solenostemon FlameThrower Salsa Roja

The Coleus Flame Thrower Salsa Roja brings beautiful shades of dark red to this excellent series of Solenostemon. A rare and deep colour beautifully complemented by a dense bushy habit and good tolerance to both sun and shade. The plant is adorned with small dentate leaves whose red colour can vary depending on their age, exposure, and season. It rarely flowers and requires little maintenance. Coleus are frost-sensitive and can be grown as indoor plants or in the garden as annuals to decorate balconies and terraces. They also make particularly decorative plants in seasonal compositions where they will enhance blue, pink, or white flowers.

Coleus, also known as Solenostemon or Plectranthus, are plants related to Basil. They belong to the mint family, as indicated by their small bilabiate flowers with elongated lower lip, fleshy square stems, and dentate and velvety leaves on the underside. This genus comprises about sixty species of frost-tender perennial shrubs, native to Asia and tropical Africa. Horticulture has produced numerous hybrids and cultivars, among which the Solenostemon scutellarioides of the 'Flame Thrower' series have been selected for their ornamental qualities and ease of cultivation.

The Coleus 'Flame Thrower Salsa Roja' forms a compact and rounded clump, reaching no more than 40-45 cm (16-18in) in height and 35-40 cm (14-16in) in diameter in one season. The leaves are small, nicely dentate along the edges, and slightly velvety. Their lamina displays a changing colour palette of dark red tones including Bordeaux, dark garnet, purple with coppery highlights, or more pinkish hues. The flowering, which is rare in this selection, is discreet. It sometimes appears at the end of summer, 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 nettle' due to their incredibly diverse foliage, are irreplaceable for adding a beautiful exotic touch to any setting in the garden or indoors, where they can live for several years. They prefer a semi-shaded exposure, 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 beds of colours and mix well with begonias in flower pots. The richness of their colours makes them somewhat challenging to pair with other plants; small ferns such as Polypodium or purple heart (Tradescantia pallida) will be good companions for the Flame Thrower Coleus. 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, transplant 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 being planted outdoors once the risk of frost has been definitively eliminated.