Colocha Sunset Coleus is a compact ornamental cultivar that brings tropical flair to gardens with its dramatic sunset-hued foliage and intricately frilled leaf edges. Growing just 12 inches tall with a full, bushy habit, this frost-tender coleus thrives in hardiness zones 10-13 and reaches its peak color in full sun. The foliage resembles tie-dye patterns, creating a visual spectacle that has earned praise in display gardens. It's equally at home in beds, borders, and containers, where its compact stature and vibrant appearance make an immediate impact.
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10-13
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The frilled, tie-dye-like foliage in tropical sunset tones is what stops gardeners in their tracks. Its compact 12-inch height and naturally bushy growth mean you get a full, tidy plant without constant pinching or fussing. Grown in full sun, the color intensifies dramatically, and because it germinates in just 10-20 days at warm temperatures, you can have display-ready plants from seed in a single season.
Colocha Sunset Coleus is grown as an ornamental foliage plant for visual impact rather than culinary or other traditional uses. It excels in garden beds and borders where its compact form and vivid coloring create focal points, and performs equally well in container gardens, hanging baskets, or mixed plantings where its full bushy habit fills space quickly. Gardeners use it as a statement plant to add tropical color to temperate summer gardens or as a year-round specimen in warm climates.
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Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date. Sow on the surface of moist seed-starting mix at temperatures of 70-85°F; seeds need light to germinate and should not be covered. Expect sprouts in 10-20 days. Maintain warm, consistently moist conditions and provide bright light as soon as seedlings emerge to prevent leggy growth.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after your last frost date when nighttime temperatures stay above 50°F. Harden off plants gradually over 7-10 days by exposing them to increasing amounts of outdoor light and wind. Plant in full sun with 6 inches of spacing between plants. Water thoroughly at planting time.
Pinch off the growing tips regularly when plants are young to encourage a fuller, bushier habit. Colocha Sunset naturally grows compact and tidy, but removing the top 1/2 inch of growth every few weeks promotes denser branching and more abundant foliage. Remove any flowers that appear to direct energy back into leaf production, since the foliage is the ornamental feature.
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