Where to Buy Coleus Plants for Your Garden

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Robby

Coleus are beautiful, low maintenance plants that can bring stunning color and interest to gardens, patios, and containers Their brightly colored leaves in shades of green, red, pink, yellow, orange, burgundy and more have made them garden favorites for decades Coleus are available from garden centers, nurseries, mail order catalogs and online shops. Here’s an overview of some of the best places to buy coleus plants for your landscape.

Local Garden Centers

Most local independent garden centers and nurseries will carry a nice selection of coleus varieties during the spring and summer months. The benefit of shopping for coleus in person is you can see the plants up close, check for signs of health and vigor, and hand select the colors and varieties you like best. Garden center staff are also usually very knowledgeable about coleus care and can give advice on choosing plants suited for sun or shade locations. Some things to look for when buying coleus plants in person:

  • Choose plants with healthy looking foliage and no signs of wilting, yellowing, or insect damage.

  • Look for plants with well established root systems. Gently lift plants out of their pots to inspect roots.

  • Seek out garden centers that propagate their own coleus. These plants will likely be more robust.

  • Time your coleus purchase for late spring/early summer when the newest plants have been brought into the garden center,

Popular national chains like Home Depot and Lowe’s will have a decent coleus selection. But local independent garden centers may offer more unique and hard-to-find coleus varieties.

Mail Order Coleus

Purchasing coleus through mail order catalogs or online shops is another good option, especially if you’re looking for uncommon coleus varieties. Reputable mail order nurseries often have a much wider selection of plants compared to local garden centers. Here are some top mail order sources for buying coleus plants:

  • Rosy Dawn Gardens – Specializes exclusively in coleus and offers over 200 coleus varieties, many not found anywhere else. Plants ship April – June.

  • Bluestone Perennials – Offers around 50 varieties of coleus plants. Free shipping on orders over $45.

  • Spring Hill Nurseries – Carries unique coleus collections like the Wizard Coleus Collection and Under the Sea Coleus Collection.

  • Nature Hills Nursery – Good selection of popular coleus varieties. Offers free shipping on orders over $100.

When ordering coleus by mail, order early to get the best selection. Most mail order nurseries ship when weather is suitable in spring/early summer. Select expedited shipping if planting right away.

Buying Coleus Starts vs Plants

Another factor to consider is whether to purchase small starter plants or more mature coleus. Starter plants are cheaper and easier to ship but will take longer to reach mature size. Larger plants make more of an instant impact but are pricier. Here are some tips for both options:

Coleus Starts

  • Often sold in cell packs or small pots around 2-3 inches wide.

  • Usually cost just a few dollars per plant.

  • Establish quickly when planted in the garden.

  • Provide instant color and fill out within a few weeks.

Larger Coleus Plants

  • Sold in 4 inch pots or quart sizes.

  • Offer instant color and impact.

  • Range from $5-$15 per plant.

  • Can withstand more sun and wind than starts.

  • May bloom in first year. Start plants less likely to flower.

Either starter coleus or larger plants can work well. Choose based on your budget, how quickly you want mature plants, and whether you need them to withstand sun/wind immediately.

Unique and Specialty Coleus

Beyond the well known, commonly available coleus varieties, there are many specialty options to explore:

  • New coleus introductions – Look for the newest coleus varieties released each year. These feature unique colors, leaf shapes, growth habits.

  • Trailing coleus – Cascade beautifully in containers. Look for trailing types like Trailing Queen or Trailing Plum.

  • Small leaved coleus – Tiny leaves create delicate, fine textures. Fairway Series coleus are known for tiny leaves.

  • Large leaved coleus – Huge, “dinner plate” leaves make a dramatic statement. Kong Series coleus have especially large leaves.

  • Fragrant coleus – Unusual varieties like Coleus ‘Wasabi’ and ‘Caipirinha’ offer pleasant scents.

  • Non-flowering coleus – Some newer coleus are sterile/don’t flower, keeping the focus on their foliage.

Creating Stunning Coleus Combinations

One of the joys of coleus is using them in creative combinations with other plants. Here are some ideas for building stunning coleus pairings:

  • Combine contrasting leaf colors and shapes. For example, upright Redhead coleus with trailing Strawberry Drop.

  • Partner bold coleus like ‘Kong Jr. Scarlet’ with delicate grasses or fine textured plants.

  • Use coleus as thrillers in container plantings, surrounded by trailing/mounding plants.

  • Echo coleus colors with companion plants like orange flowers with orange-red leaved coleus.

  • Use coleus in colorful themed plantings. For instance, purple coleus, purple heart plants, purple fountain grass.

With the myriad coleus varieties available from local and mail order sources, the possibilities for creating spectacular coleus combinations are nearly endless! Do some research, shop early for best selection, and add these sensational foliage plants to your garden.

where to buy coleus plants

Featured on Margaret Roach A Way to Garden!

We’re honored to have been featured on A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach, a nationally recognized gardening podcast and blog led by the former garden editor of Martha Stewart Living. In the feature, Margaret highlighted Rosy Dawn Gardens for our unique propagation methods, our careful and eco-friendly shipping process, and our unmatched selection of over 200 coleus varieties. She shared our passion for growing vibrant, healthy coleus plants and praised our dedication to helping home gardeners succeed. As she noted, “Rosy Dawn Gardens doesn’t just grow coleus—they celebrate them.” Being featured by such a respected voice in the gardening community reinforces our mission to bring color, quality, and expertise to every garden. You can listen to the episode and explore the full feature at A Way to Garden.

Welcome to Rosy Dawn Gardens!

Rosy Dawn Gardens is a family-owned, mail-order retail nursery that specializes in colorful coleus starter plants for the home gardener. Coleus are not a sideline for us. Coleus are all we grow! We have over 200 different varieties from which you may choose. Coleus are a tender perennial grown for their beautiful foliage and are usually treated as an annual in the U.S. Since they dont depend on flowers for color, coleus will brighten your garden or patio all summer long. Whether you are into container and patio gardening or growing beautiful garden beds – you have come to the right place!

Our plants are healthy and well rooted in a 1.5″ x 2″ deep plug surrounded by biodegradable fabric. The height of our coleus at shipping time varies according to the variety and ship date, and usually they are between 3″ and 12″ tall. Sizes are similar to what you would purchase in a 3″ to 4″ pot in a nursery. Our unique growing method allows us to provide a sturdy starter plant with a well-formed root system using a minimum amount of growing medium. At shipping time, each plant is rolled into its own cardboard tube so it arrives at your doorstep in perfect condition. We have been successfully shipping coleus this way since we opened 23 years ago. Live arrival is guaranteed! If for some reason your package is delayed or damaged and your coleus do not survive the journey, we will re-ship your order at no cost to you.

How to Grow Coleus – A Step-by-Step Guide

FAQ

What is the best time to plant coleus?

Coleus thrives in hot, humid conditions. Light frost kills large-leaved types. Wait until the temperature reaches 70°F before moving potted plants outdoors in spring. In the late summer and fall, move potted plants indoors or use an insulating cover when temperatures dip into the 50s.

Does Home Depot have coleus plants?

1.88-Pint Coleus Plant (8-Pack) 607357 – The Home Depot.

When can I buy coleus?

You can buy coleus as ‘plug plants’ (young plants) in early spring. Grow them on indoors until the weather warms up. Plant them out in the garden in May, once there are no more frosts forecast.

Do coleus do better in pots or in the ground?

It works both in pots and the garden. They tolerate full sun well. I haven’t even mulched them in years. I continue breaking off stems so that they grow nice and full. We will always have one cold snap that will pretty much turn them to mush!

Is Coleus a perennial?

Few foliage plants can show off like coleus, which offers intricate and stunning color patterns on its shapely leaves. While coleus are often grown in containers, they grow equally well, and usually larger, in a garden bed. Coleus is an herbaceous perennial in its native range, but most people grow it as an annual.

Are Coleus a pest-free plant?

Taylor Greenhouses offers an ever-expanding variety of healthy, interesting, pest-free plants. Coleus are beautiful, easy to grow indoor and outdoor plants grown for their colorful leaves. Free shipping on orders over $90.00! Coleus are beautiful, easy to grow indoor and outdoor plants grown for their colorful leaves.

Do you sell Coleus seeds?

We do not sell coleus seeds, and seeds are not available for the varieties we sell. > Our coleus are sold as individual units, not as multi-packs. > Coleus are tropical plants with no cold tolerance. They should only be placed outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. > Some coleus can tolerate full sun, and some need a shadier location.

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