In order to learn more about our recent plantings, I’m making a plant portrait each week. We have 6 different Coleus because I fell in love with all the color and variety.

Four coleus came together in a group called…
Wizard Mix <– WHO WOULD NOT BUY PLANTS CALLED THIS.

The colors are incredible…and also incredibly challenging to capture accurately. I did my best. I explored 4 different leaves for colors and patterns. Then spent time looking at the growth patterns and doing some background research.

While I was drawing, a neighborly dog-walker sauntered by and shared her experience on keeping coleus alive. I am buoyed by her optimism, so included it in the sketch.

My favorite bit of trivia is that some varieties of coleus may have mild hallucinogenic effects. I will keep an eye on the birds and squirrels and see if this is true. If I start acting weird, it may be because I’m out licking the coleus.

As of today, our coleus plants have survived 14 days with us. We are thrilled.

Reference for source material:
• Coleus on Wikipedia