Solenostemon Copinto Margarita

The Coleus Copinto Margarita is part of a line of Plectranthus with an upright and bushy habit, bearing cocktail-inspired names based on their colours. 'Margarita' is rather compact and its small leaves are a truly bright yellow-green. This foliage plant makes a big impact while requiring little maintenance, planted in partial shade in moist soil. Frost-tender, Coleus Copinto can be grown as indoor plants or in the garden as annuals to decorate balconies and terraces. They also make particularly aesthetic subjects in seasonal compositions and contemporary decorations.

The Coleus, also called Solenostemon, recently renamed Plectranthus, are plants related to Basil and nettle. They belong to the Lamiaceae family, as evidenced by their small bilabiate flowers with elongated lower lip, their fleshy square-sectioned stems, and their toothed and velvety leaves on the underside. This genus includes about sixty species of frost-tender shrubby perennials, native to Asia and tropical Africa. Horticulture has produced many hybrids and cultivars, among which many descendants of Solenostemon scutellarioides.

The Coleus 'Copinto Margarita' forms a dense and rounded tuft, reaching about 30 cm (12in) in all directions in one season. The small yellow-green heart-shaped leaves are bordered by rounded and regular teeth, and slightly velvety. The late and sporadic flowering in this selection is discreet. It sometimes occurs at the end of the season, in the form of small pale mauve-blue flowers. It is often recommended to remove these flowers so that the plants do not exhaust themselves producing seeds and maintain generous foliage.

The coleus, sometimes called 'painted nettles' due to their incredibly diverse foliage, are irreplaceable for adding a touch of exoticism to any decor in the garden as well as in the house, where they will live for several years. They appreciate a semi-shaded exposure, which can be found on the edge of a bed of tall perennials or shrubs, or in a fresh rockery, exposed to the north or east, away from the burning rays of the sun. They allow for the creation of small mosaic-like beds of colours and go well with begonias in flower pots. The richness of their colours makes them quite difficult to associate: small ferns like Polypodium or purple misère (Tradescantia pallida) will be good companions for the Coleus Copinto Margarita. They also pair particularly well with begonias in flower pots.

Note: Attention, our young plug plants are professional products reserved 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 being installed outdoors once the risk of frost is definitively avoided.