Bold color that refuses to fade! Shade-tolerant and compact, this glorious foliage plant sets large, wide leaves of neon-rose with a generous milk-chocolate margin edged in lime-green! Very late flowering, it works well in containers and beds.
Chocolate Covered Cherry is so richly colored and generously branched that you may forget how compact it really is. This plant only reaches about 12 to 14 inches high and 10 to 12 inches wide, yet the long, broad leaves stand out brilliantly even in larger settings. The base color is a neon-intense rosy red, which shades into swatches of chocolate brown and is neatly bordered in a "pinked" edge of lime green. Stunning combination -- the first of its kind in the family!
Chocolate Covered Cherry is part of the Premium Sun family of fade-resistant Coleus. This series "does" brown shades better than any other we have grown, and you will love how these rich tones add a new palette to your color garden. Whether you display it as a houseplant, patio standout, or annual bed subject, these bold hues will attract attention all year long, without ever losing their luster!
And this Coleus flowers later than most others, so you have less maintenance. Most of us pinch off Coleus flowers as they arise, so the foliage can show to best effect. Chocolate Covered Cherry makes this a bit easier by starting later in the season and blooming only sparsely.
Sowing and growing this Coleus is a snap. Germinate the seed indoors at 72 to 75°F, lightly covering the seed or simply dropping one seed per hole into the bio sponges of your Bio Dome. Keep the soil moist by misting if using seed trays (the Bio Dome operates by bottom-watering, so this isn't an issue), and keep humidity high by placing plastic over the seed tray or keeping the dome of the Bio Dome in place.
Grow the seedlings on at 68 to 70° during the day, with cooler nights if possible -- Coleus is not fussy about temperature and will do well in a wide range of conditions. Transplant the seedlings when they have at least 2 sets of true leaves. Enjoy!
