Coleus Plants?
Question:I am constantly clipping and rooting coleus plants. Can they take full sun or do I always need to put them in a more shaded area? Also, why do coleus leaves become green with purple trim indoors, but turn deep burgundy/wine when placed outdoors?
Answers:
Not mine!
I had the perfect spot out back on the deck right next to the house. There it enjoyed part shade and it thrived. But we cut those trees down and now it got full sun in the spot it always loved.
It got fried! It looked like it was going to die.
Now its indoors -- right next to me in fact. It enjoys part sun indoors and it once again doing nicely. They recover unlike most plants nicely once they get in the right spot.
Part sun. Definitely.
Move the plant around experimenting to see how it does.
Is second question hints at the answer to your first question.
Most coleus will grow best in part shade or dappled light. However, several new cultivars are available that will thrive in full, hot sun. They are listed in the cultivar listings at http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic1... Varieties that are not sun-tolerant will bleach and discolor in full sun.
There are hundreds of different varieties of coleus, some for sun and some for shade. Generally speaking, the lighter colored ones do better in shade and vice versa, although this is not universal. Some cultivars will tolerate both, but show different colors depending on the amount of sunlight they receive. Really it's just a matter of research and trial & error to find out the true nature of a certain type. Another thing to keep in mind: The stress of rooting a cutting inherently makes the clone stronger than the mother plant. The cutting, especially if rooted in sunlight, will often become sun tolerant even if the mother plant was strictly for shade.
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