Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
Eastern Asia, Malaysia
Central America, Mexico
Types
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
1503
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Subtropical climates, tropical environments
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-127-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-1
Sunset Zone
-
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Bushy, Evergreen
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Purple
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Red, Green, Purple
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Damp
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Ample Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Type
Damp
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
cut main flower spike, Cut or pinch the stems
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
Full-strength liquid fertilizer
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Downy mildew, Red blotch, Stem rot
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
Cold climate
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes, Used for making hedges
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Weightloss
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, Soil protection, soil stabilisation
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Asthma, Glaucoma, High blood pressure, Liver Protection, Weight loss
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties, useful as a ground cover
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
Plectranthus scutellarioides
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Coleus, Painted nettle
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Coleus
Mousemelon
In German
Buntnessel
Maus Melone
In French
Vieux garçon
Mousemelon
In Spanish
coleo
Mousemelon
In Greek
Coleus
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
cóleus
melão rato
In Polish
Coleus
mysz melona
In Latin
Coleus
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Cucurbitales
Family
Lamiaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Coleus
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
15050
1
27800
👆🏻