Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Shrub
Origin
Eastern Asia, Malaysia
Mexico
Types
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Pink cestrum, Red cestrum, Purple cestrum
Number of Varieties
150175
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Subtropical climates, tropical environments
gardens, High elevation, Roadsides
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-129-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-10
Sunset Zone
-
H1, H2, 13, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Bushy, Evergreen
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Magenta, Crimson, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
-
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Red, Green, Purple
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Damp
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Ample Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Damp
Loam, Sand
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Full-strength liquid fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Downy mildew, Red blotch, Stem rot
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
Drought
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes, Used for making hedges
Bonsai, Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Weightloss
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, Soil protection, soil stabilisation
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Asthma, Glaucoma, High blood pressure, Liver Protection, Weight loss
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties, useful as a ground cover
Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Cutflower, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
Plectranthus scutellarioides
CESTRUM elegans
Common Name
Coleus, Painted nettle
Crimson cestrum, Elegant poison-berry, Purple cestrum, Red cestrum
In Hindi
Coleus
Butterfly Flower plant
In German
Buntnessel
Schmetterlings-Blumen- Anlage
In French
Vieux garçon
usine de fleur de papillon
In Spanish
coleo
planta de la flor de mariposa
In Greek
Coleus
φυτό Πεταλούδα λουλούδι
In Portuguese
cóleus
planta de flor de borboleta
In Polish
Coleus
Motyl Kwiat roślin
In Latin
Coleus
Flos plantae Gloria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Solanales
Family
Lamiaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Coleus
Cestrum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Cestreae
Subfamily
-
Browallioideae
Number of Species
150250
1
27800
👆🏻