Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Shrub
Origin
United States, Canada
Eastern Asia, Malaysia
Types
-
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Number of Varieties
10150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds, Dappled Shade, Woodland Garden Canopy, Woodlands
gardens, Subtropical climates, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-911-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
-
Sunset Zone
-
-
Habit
Clump-Forming
Bushy, Evergreen
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green, Light Pink
-
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
Dark Purple
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Burgundy
Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Red, Green, Purple
Shape
Leaf Shape
Obtuse
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Damp
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires a lot of watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Ample Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Damp
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
cut main flower spike, Cut or pinch the stems
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Cadmium fertilizer
Full-strength liquid fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Mosaic viruses, Yellow Leaves
Downy mildew, Red blotch, Stem rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Wet Site
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
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Small mammals
-
Allergy
Abdominal pain, allergic reaction, cramps, Diarrhea, Nausea, Spasms, Toxic, Toxic if not prepared properly, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
-
Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification, Provides ground cover, Soil protection, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anodyne, anti-inflammatory, Antirheumatic, Arthritis, Curing mumps and measles, Homeopathy
Asthma, Glaucoma, High blood pressure, Liver Protection, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as an insecticide, Used for its medicinal properties, Used for making soaps, Used in making blue ink
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Wildflower
Container, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
PHYTOLACCA americana
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Common Name
American Pokeweed, Inkberry, Pokeberry
Coleus, Painted nettle
In Hindi
POKEBERRY
Coleus
In German
Kermesbeere
Buntnessel
In French
POKEBERRY
Vieux garçon
In Spanish
Pokeberry
coleo
In Greek
POKEBERRY
Coleus
In Portuguese
POKEBERRY
cóleus
In Polish
alkiermes
Coleus
In Latin
pokeberry
Coleus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Phytolaccaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Phytolacca
Coleus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
35150
1
27800
👆🏻