Coleus, with its vibrant, colorful foliage, is a highly popular plant for adding dramatic color to garden beds and containers. Gardeners often become concerned when small, spiky flowers begin to emerge from the stem tips. This flowering often precedes a noticeable decline in the plant’s appearance, leading to the question of whether the Coleus is about to die. Understanding this natural life cycle and implementing simple maintenance steps can ensure the plant maintains its lush, colorful display. This article explains the biology behind this decline and provides strategies for maintaining and preserving your favorite varieties.
Understanding the Decline After Flowering
Coleus plants do not immediately die after flowering, but they do enter a phase of rapid decline. Coleus is botanically a tender perennial, meaning it can live for more than two years, though it is frequently grown as an annual in cooler climates. The development of flower spikes signals that the plant has reached maturity and is shifting its biological priorities toward reproductive processes. This shift involves diverting metabolic energy away from vegetative growth, such as leaves and stems, and toward producing seeds. Consequently, the foliage often loses its intense color, new leaves become smaller, and the plant develops a tall, sparse, or “leggy” appearance. This loss of vigor and aesthetic appeal means it is effectively finished as an ornamental garden feature.
Proactive Maintenance: Recognizing and Removing Flower Spikes
The primary method for maintaining a lush, bushy Coleus is to prevent the flowering process from beginning entirely. Coleus flower spikes are slender, vertical structures that emerge from the center tip of a stem. These spikes are covered in tiny, whorled blossoms that are often pale blue, white, or lavender, contrasting sharply with the vibrant foliage.
As soon as these spikes are detected, they should be removed through “pinching” or “deadheading.” To perform this, locate the flower spike and trace the stem down to the nearest set of leaves or a visible node. Use your fingernails or a clean, sharp shear to remove the stem just above this node.
Removing the flower spike stops the hormonal signal that initiates seed production. The cut interrupts the flow of growth hormones, causing new lateral shoots to branch out from the node below the cut. This action redirects the plant’s energy back into creating more foliage, resulting in a denser, bushier plant. Consistency is key, as any new stems that emerge will also attempt to flower eventually.
Salvaging and Propagating a Mature Plant
If a Coleus has already become severely leggy, flowered heavily, or begun to decline, the genetics of the plant can still be preserved through propagation. This process effectively resets the life cycle of the plant, creating a new, young specimen from the old one.
Start by selecting healthy, non-woody stem tips that are approximately four to six inches in length. Make a clean cut just below a leaf node on the chosen stem, as this is the point where root-producing cells are most concentrated. Once the cutting is taken, remove all the lower leaves from the bottom half of the stem to prevent them from rotting when placed in water or soil. Leaving only the top two or three sets of leaves ensures the cutting focuses its energy on root development.
The prepared cuttings can be easily rooted in a glass of clean, room-temperature water. Place the glass in a bright location that does not receive direct, intense sunlight. New white roots should begin to emerge from the submerged nodes within a few weeks. Change the water every few days to keep it fresh and oxygenated, which discourages bacterial growth. Once the roots are approximately one to two inches long, the new plantlets are ready to be potted into a well-draining potting mix.