Solenostemon Copinto Sangria

The Coleus Copinto Sangria is part of a lineage of Plectranthus with an upright and bushy habit, bearing cocktail-inspired names based on their colours. This Sangria variety has beautifully toothed leaves in a bronze-red colour. Of moderate vigor, this variety has an upright habit with a clean appearance. Frost-tender, Coleus can be grown as indoor plants or in the garden as annuals to decorate balconies and terraces. They are also particularly appreciated in seasonal compositions and contemporary decorations. Their exotic charm is very impressive and they require little maintenance, in partial shade in moist soil.

The Coleus, also known as 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, fleshy square stems, and toothed and hairy leaves on the underside. This genus brings together about sixty species of frost-tender shrubby perennials, native to Asia and tropical Africa. Horticulture has given rise to many hybrids and cultivars, including many descendants of Solenostemon scutellarioides.

The Coleus 'Copinto Sangria' forms an upright, dense, and rounded clump, reaching about 40 cm (16in) in all directions in one season. The leaves are slightly hairy, triangular in shape, with a border cut into large rounded teeth. Their lamina has a slightly wavy texture and a bronze-red colour. The flowering, late and sporadic in this selection, is discreet. It sometimes appears at the end of the season, in the form of small flowers of pale mauve-blue. It is often recommended to remove these flowers so that the plants do not exhaust themselves in producing seeds and maintain a generous foliage.

The coleus, sometimes called 'painted nettles' because of their incredibly diverse foliage, are irreplaceable for adding a beautiful exotic touch to any decor in the garden as well as in the house, where they can live for several years. They appreciate a partially shaded exposure, which can be found on 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 allow for creating small mosaic-like massifs of colours and go well with begonias in flower pots. The richness of their colours makes them somewhat difficult to associate: small ferns like Polypodium or purple misère (Tradescantia pallida) will be good companions for Coleus Copinto Sangria. They also pair particularly well with begonias in flower pots.

Note: Please be aware that our young plug plants are professional products reserved for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, transplant and store them under shelter (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 gone.