About Coleus scutellarioides (L.) Benth.
Coleus scutellarioides (L.) Benth. is an upright annual or short-lived perennial plant, with a typical lifespan of three to four years. Most individuals grow less than 60 cm (2 ft) tall, though some cultivated forms like the cultivar 'Lime Time' can reach up to 1 m (3 ft) in height. Its stems are generally four-angled and well-branched. Shorter, more trailing varieties were previously classified as separate species under names such as Coleus pumilus or Solenostemon pumilus, but are now all recognized as part of the highly variable C. scutellarioides species. Through modern cultivation and hybridisation, the species has become extremely variable in leaf color, patterning, and shape.
Its leaves are somewhat fleshy, semi-succulent, and tender. They range in size from 1.5–10 cm (0.6–3.9 in) long by 1–6 cm (0.4–2.4 in) wide, and are most often ovate in shape. Leaves grow on petioles (leaf stalks) that measure 0.5–5 cm (0.2–2.0 in) long. The leaf margin has a variable degree of division, and hairs grow on both sides of the leaf.
This species is native to the region spanning from southeast Asia to Australia, including the Bismarck Archipelago, Borneo, Cambodia, Southeast China, Java, Laos, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Peninsular Malaysia, Maluku, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, New Guinea, Northern Territory, Philippines, Queensland, the Solomon Islands, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Western Australia. It is cultivated around the world, and may become naturalized in other tropical regions. In its native habitat, it grows at elevations between 100–1,600 m (330–5,250 ft), and produces flowers and fruits year-round. It is winter hardy in USDA Zones 10–11.
