🔍 Coleus | Coleus scutellarioides 🍁
📍 San Isidro de Grecia, Alajuela, Costa Rica 🇨🇷
💬 Its jaw-dropping color comes from leaf pigments, not flowers — a Southeast Asian native now grown as a garden staple worldwide, with thousands of cultivated varieties.
Flora
Coleus | Coleus scutellarioides
Basic ID
Conservation Status
Not threatened; extensively cultivated worldwide
Other Common Names
Painted Nettle, Flame Nettle
Plant Type
Herbaceous perennial, often grown as an annual
Flower / Leaf Color
Magenta, burgundy, and chartreuse variegated foliage; leaves are the ornamental feature
Lifespan
Perennial in tropical climates
Size
Height
30-60 cm
Spread
30-45 cm
Habitat & Behavior
Uses
Ornamental garden and border plant
Wildlife Attraction
Minimal; occasional small pollinators when flowering
Native Region
Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands
Current Distribution
Cultivated worldwide in tropical and temperate gardens, incl. widespread across Costa Rica
Habitat
Garden beds, borders, and potted displays
Sources: IUCN Red List · Plants of the World Online · USDA PLANTS Database · Encyclopedia of Life