What's Blooming Now

About 150 years ago, the humble mint relative that we know as coleus was all the rage. Gardening had become a genteel pastime in Europe, and botanists were searching the world for new color. Darwin and others had popularized the investigation of diversity, and the tropical Asian native coleus (Solenstemon scutellariodes), with its riotous foliage of reds, purples, greens and yellows, displayed infinite variety.

The plant's ornamental value was in its long-lasting leaves, not its ephemeral flowers. It became an easy-to-grow houseplant, a ground cover, a showpiece for formal gardens, and even a specimen for biology classes to dissect. Today's coleus is of hybrid origin, with leaves of diverse shapes and colors. It does well in partial shade and likes its share of water.

-Jerome A. Jackson, Florida Gulf Coast University