Coleus ‘Fairway Ruby’

Solenostemon scutellarioides ‘Fairway Ruby’

Characteristics

Culture

Winter hardy to USDA Zones 10-11.  In other zones, grow as garden annuals or in pots that can be overwintered indoors or as houseplants. Outdoors, grow in moist, organically rich, loose soils in part shade. Soils must not be allowed to dry out. ‘Fairway Ruby’ Coleus produces foliage with bright red center and wide off-white margin with green edging.  Produces tiny blue or white flowers, 1/2″ long anytime throughout year. Pinch out to maintain plant health, foliage color, and attractive, compact plants.  Coleus ‘Fairway Ruby’ does not tolerate water logging. Water moderately when in growth and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer at alternate waterings. When in growth, apply a high nitrogen fertilizer every 2 weeks. Keep just moist.  Plants grown in too much shade may become leggy.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Plectranthus scutellarioides, commonly known as Coleus, is a tropical evergreen tender perennial that has been a popular foliage plant since at least Victorian times. It is native to Southeast Asia and Malaysia. It has been assiduously hybridized over the years into a very large number of vegetatively propagated and seed propagated strains with an almost infinite number of leaf color combinations including most colors of the spectrum except true blue.

Cultivars range in size from dwarf 6” tall plants to large mounded 36” tall plants. Four-sided stems are semi-succulent. Showy multi-colored leaves are generally ovate to oblong and toothed. Leaves frequently feature mixtures of colors in irregular patterns. Blue to white nettle-like flowers (more common on seed strains) bloom in racemes in summer to early fall, but are not showy and tend to visually detract from the symmetry and attractiveness of the plants.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Watch for aphids, spider mites, mealy bugs, and whiteflies when grown indoors. Plants grown in too much sun may wilt. Plants grown in too much shade may become leggy.

Garden Uses

Group or mass as garden annuals in beds and borders. Pots, containers, window boxes.