Solenostemon Copinto Cuba Libre

The Coleus Copinto Cuba Libre is a variety of Plectranthus that is very unusual due to the shape of its deeply lobed leaves. This texture is beautifully enhanced by the colour and pattern that adorns them, in red-brown bordered with lime green. Of medium vigor, this variety has an upright habit and a clean appearance. Sensitive to frost, Coleus plants can be grown as indoor plants or in the garden as annuals to decorate balconies and terraces. They are also particularly decorative in seasonal compositions and contemporary designs. Their exotic charm is very impressive and they require little maintenance, preferring partial shade in moist soil

Coléus, also known as Solenostemon and recently renamed Plectranthus, are plants related to Basil and nettle. They belong to the mint family, as indicated by their small bilabiate flowers with elongated lower lip, their fleshy square stems, and their toothed and hairy leaves on the underside. This genus comprises about sixty species of tender shrubby perennials, native to Asia and tropical Africa. Horticulture has produced numerous hybrids and cultivars, including many descendants of Solenostemon scutellarioides.

The Coléus 'Copinto Cuba Libre' forms an upright, dense, and rounded clump, reaching about 40 cm (16in) in all directions in one season. The large leaves are slightly hairy, deeply lobed along the edges. Their lamina is brown with red highlights, with a fine light yellow-green border. The flowering, late and sporadic in this selection, is discreet. Sometimes, towards the end of the season, it produces small pale mauve-blue flowers. It is often recommended to remove these flowers so that the plants do not exhaust themselves by producing seeds and can maintain a generous foliage.

Coleus, sometimes called 'painted nettles' because of their incredibly diverse foliage, are irreplaceable for adding a beautiful exotic touch to any decor, both in the garden and indoors, where they can live for several years. They prefer a partially shaded position, which can be found at the edge of a bed of tall perennials or shrubs, or in a cool rockery exposed to the north or east, away from the burning rays of the sun. They can be used to create small mosaic-like massifs of colours and pair well with begonias in flower pots. Their wide range of colours makes them somewhat challenging to pair with other plants: small ferns like Polypodium or purple heart (Tradescantia pallida) will be good companions for Coleus Copinto Cuba Libre. They also go particularly well with begonias in flower pots.

Note: Please be aware that our young plug plants are professional products intended for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, transplant and store them in sheltered areas (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame) at a temperature above 14°C (57.2°F) for a few weeks before planting them outside once the risk of frost has passed for good.