Coleus is Coleus scutellarioides. Labels may still say Plectranthus scutellarioides, Solenostemon scutellarioides, or Coleus × hybridus. Same URL. Swedish ivy is Plectranthus verticillatus, a different plant.
Iowa names coleus among annuals you cut in fall and root indoors. Missouri: a herbaceous cutting, root in water, easiest of all. UMN and UF name seed as well as cuttings. Tender. Cuttings are how Iowa, UVM, UF, and Clemson keep a plant through winter.
For mix, see soil propagation. Water lives on water propagation.
Stem cuttings in water
Missouri: root in water. Easiest of all. Skip hormone on easy-to-root plants such as coleus.
UMN: 4 to 6 inches off the top. Leaves off the bottom half. Water covering where the leaves came off. Roots in 2 to 3 weeks, then soil.
UF/IFAS FPS136: cuttings as short as 2 inches from new shoots, plain water.
UVM: about 5 inches, several nodes, no leaves in the water, indirect light, change water weekly. Roots in a few weeks, then pot.
UMD Extension: 3 to 5 inches, at least one node, about 70 °F. Change water at least twice a week. Several weeks to roots, then another week or two in water before potting.
Those lengths and weeks are not one number.
Stem cuttings in mix
UF Gardening Solutions: 2 to 6 inches. Cut a half-inch below the lowest leaves, those leaves off. Moist potting soil or vermiculite, shade, a couple of weeks.
Iowa Haynes (reviewed 2022), coleus named: 2 to 4 inch tip, hormone optional, moist perlite, plastic tent, indirect light. Most cuttings 4 to 6 weeks. Pot when roots are at least 1 inch.
Iowa 2009 annuals note (coleus among them): 3 to 5 inches, hormone, vermiculite, perlite, or sand, 1 inch deep, bag, 6 to 8 weeks. Do not average with Haynes 2 to 4 inches and 4 to 6 weeks.
UNL Lancaster lists coleus as easy: about 6 inches, September, bag over mix, 3 to 4 weeks to 1/2 to 1 inch roots. Do not average 6 inches with Iowa 2 to 4.
Clemson: stem cuttings any season. Vegetative cultivars are sterile. Tags marked PP or PPAF should not be cut for new plants.
Seed
UF FPS136: 10 to 14 days at 70 to 75 °F. Light helps, so do not cover the seed.
UMN: about 8 weeks before outdoor planting. On the surface, cover with vermiculite, plastic over the tray, light required. 10 to 20 days at 70 to 75 °F. Then grow at 65 to 70 °F.
Clemson: uncovered, 70 to 75 °F, 10 to 15 days, 6 to 8 weeks to transplant size. Seed-grown types exist. Vegetative types stay on cuttings.
Do not average UF 10 to 14 days with UMN 10 to 20. Do not average uncovered (UF, Clemson) with UMN's vermiculite cover. Both still want light.
Common mistakes
- Averaging Iowa Haynes 2 to 4 inches and 4 to 6 weeks with UNL 6 inches and 3 to 4 weeks, or with UMN 4 to 6 inches and 2 to 3 weeks.
- Averaging UF's uncovered seed with UMN's vermiculite cover.
- Treating Swedish ivy as this page.
- Hormone as required. Missouri skips it for coleus. Iowa Haynes says optional.
People also ask
Coleus or Plectranthus?
Same URL for coleus. Swedish ivy is a different Plectranthus.
Water or mix?
Missouri and UMN start in water. UF Gardening Solutions and Iowa Haynes start in mix. UVM names both.
How long until roots?
UMN 2 to 3 weeks in water. UF mix: a couple of weeks. UNL 3 to 4. Iowa Haynes 4 to 6. Iowa 2009 6 to 8. Not one number.