Solenostemon Pineapple Surprise

The Coleus Pineapple Surprise is a variety of Solenostemon whose design suits contemporary decor perfectly. The plant forms a beautiful dense clump and is adorned with unique foliage with a tricolour pattern, chartreuse green with a dark Bordeaux heart, splashed with chartreuse and green. It rarely flowers and requires little maintenance, planted in semi-shade in moist soil. Gel-sensitive, Coleus plants are cultivated as indoor plants or in gardens as annuals to decorate balconies and terraces. They are also particularly decorative in seasonal compositions.

Coléus, also known as Solenostemon or Plectranthus, are plants related to Basil. They belong to the mint family, as evidenced by their small bilabiate flowers with elongated lower lip, their fleshy square-sectioned stems, and their toothed and hairy leaves on the underside. This genus comprises around 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 'Pineapple Surprise' forms well-branched clumps, reaching about 55 cm (22in) in all directions in one season. The leaves are heart-shaped, with toothed edges and slightly hairy. The center and base of the laminae have a red-brown macule in the shape of a heart, while the rest of the leaf is marbled and speckled with green on a chartreuse background. The flowering, which is late and sporadic 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 nettle' 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 prefer a semi-shaded exposure, which can be found at the edge of a bed of tall perennials or shrubs, or in a cool rockery, facing north or east, away from the burning rays of the sun. They can be used to create small mosaic-like beds of colours and pair well with begonias in flower pots. The richness of their colours makes them somewhat difficult to pair with other plants; small ferns like Polypodium or purple misère (Tradescantia pallida) will be good companions for Coleus Pineapple Surprise. They also go particularly well with begonias in flower pots.

Note: Please note that our young plug plants are professional products intended for experienced gardeners; upon receipt, transplant and store them under shelter (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame) at a temperature above 14C° for a few weeks before being installed outdoors once the risk of frost is definitively eliminated.