Coleus (ati-ati)

Who doesn't love coleus! They are the most loveable easy-to grow houseplant, whether indoors or outdoors. They are grown in containers, hanging baskets, or directly on the ground in the garden in groups as borders, like mine. What is attractive about coleus is not the flowers, but the colourful leaves with varieties of patterns. Very tender plant, thrives in sunshine but grows well in the shades with well-drained soil. Coleus can be grown from seeds or propagation. Its sooo easy to grow and maintain.. If you let them grow too leggy, they will not look so nice, so regularly pinch them so that new shoots will grow bushy and compact.

my group of coleus when first grown outside the fence a few months back, as a border under the shades of my mulberry bushes, in between yellow and white tunera

love this one best, for the contrasting colours of dark red with bright green border

now there are so many cultivars and hybrids with very colourful, contrasting and variegated
leaves

the leaves maybe green, pink, yellow, black (very dark purple), maroon and red resembling the caladium though they are not related..

I intend to get more varieties of colours for the borders here as they really brighten up the monotonous green of the mulberry bushes

the purplish blue flower florescence of coleus, very small compared to the leaves, should be cut to halt the elongation of the stems, as coleus is not generally grown for its flowers

Coleus is a prennial member of the mint family and is a popular traditional herbal medicine in ancient times. It is also known as Flame Nettle, Painted Nettle, The Poor Man's Croton. But now it has gained popularity when a chemical extract of the roots called Forskolin have medicinal properties to treat asthma, bronchitis, glaucoma, congestive heart failure, to lower blood pressure and some other conditions too. It is said to bring down blood pressure by drinking the water of boiled coleus leaves. I wonder whether the lovely leaves can be eaten as ulam (salad)?