FlowerColeus
Kong Series Coleus
Kong Series Coleus brings dramatic, oversized foliage to warm gardens with its bold bicolored leaves that reach 18-24 inches tall. Native to the heat and humidity of Australia and Southeast Asia, this annual cultivar thrives in partial shade and performs reliably through hot summers in zones 9-11. From seed to mature plant takes 84-91 days, rewarding patient gardeners with a striking tropical accent that demands only basic care and consistent moisture.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
9-11
Sunlight
Partial Shade
Water
High
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam; Organic Matter Preferred
Growth Stats
12 in
Height
Spacing
10
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Partial Shade
Water
High
Zones
9-11
Size
12in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
These coleus grow into full, showy specimens remarkably quickly, delivering the exotic foliage impact of plants twice their age. The bold, vibrant color blends in the Kong Series are uncommonly saturated and striking, filling gardens with visual punch even in partial shade where many ornamentals struggle. Bred for warm climates, they genuinely thrive in the humidity and heat that exhaust other plants, making them the reliable anchor of a tropical-style bed.
Common Uses
Kong Series Coleus is grown as a bold foliage accent in containers, borders, and tropical-style garden beds where its dramatic bicolored leaves command attention. The generous mature size and striking color combinations make it a natural focal point in mixed plantings and as standalone specimen plants in pots.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors in a warm environment maintained at 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Sow about 84-91 days before your last frost date to have transplant-ready plants when conditions warm. Keep soil consistently moist and provide bright light once seedlings emerge.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant hardened-off seedlings outdoors once all danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed. Space plants 10 inches apart with 48 inches between rows. These frost-tender plants will be killed by cold, so wait until nighttime temperatures stay reliably above 50 degrees Fahrenheit before moving them outside.
Pruning
Pinch back growing tips early in the season to encourage bushier, fuller plants with more lateral branching. This simple technique transforms rangy seedlings into dense, compact specimens that showcase their bicolored foliage more dramatically.
Growing Calendar
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Scientific Classification
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Family
Lamiaceae
Genus
Coleus