Rare coleus – the varieties you won't find in stores

The world of coleus is full of varieties with names of their own. Want something nobody else has? Then seeds are the way to go. As seeds, there are rare varieties that never reach store shelves. True to type varieties turn out exactly like the picture, while the mixes surprise on purpose. Here are our ten favorites among the rare ones.

1. Rococo Mix – our best-selling mix

Rococo Mix is a colorful whirl of egg-shaped leaves with toothed edges, and since it's a mix, every plant is its own surprise.

→ Rococo Mix 10 seeds

2. Mezmerize Chocolate Rose

The Mezmerize series looks hand-painted – Chocolate Rose blends chocolate and pink on plants 40–50 cm tall. One of our all-time favorites. The series is also heat-tolerant and unusually late to flower – the leaves stay looking good all season.

→ Mezmerize Chocolate Rose 5 seeds

3. Superfine Rainbow Multicolor

Pink, red, green and yellow on the same leaf – Multicolor is the variety for anyone who can't pick a color. Superfine Rainbow grows dense and flowers very late – the colors take over the whole season.

→ Superfine Rainbow Multicolor 10 seeds

4. Superfine Rainbow Red Velvet

Warm ruby red with dark veins and a thin light edge around every leaf – Red Velvet is the variety for anyone who wants plants that glow. The plant reaches about 35 cm and stays dense and bushy.

→ Superfine Rainbow Red Velvet 10 seeds

5. Premium Sun Chocolate Covered Cherry

The name says it all: a cherry-red center, a chocolate-brown frame and a chartreuse outer edge. The Premium Sun series also handles sun better than most coleus – perfect for the balcony.

→ Premium Sun Chocolate Covered Cherry 5 seeds

6. Wizard Rose

A pink center fading into cream white and green, on compact plants around 30–35 cm – one of our most sought-after varieties.

→ Wizard Rose 10 seeds

7. Giant Exhibition Pinto Mix

Giant Exhibition lives up to its name: big leaves on fast-growing plants that handle heat well. Pinto Mix is a blend of the series' NN varieties ("No Name") – for anyone who wants to grow something that doesn't have a name.

→ Giant Exhibition Pinto Mix 10 seeds

8. Premium Sun Pineapple Surprise

Shimmering chartreuse with deep burgundy centers and green speckles – and like the whole Premium Sun series, it handles sun better than other varieties. The surprise in the name? Up to 3% of the plants come out darker and two-colored.

→ Premium Sun Pineapple Surprise 5 seeds

9. Fairway Mosaic

Yellow-green leaves flecked with wine red on low, bushy plants – Fairway is the series for flower-bed edges, pots and anyone who wants color that lasts.

→ Fairway Mosaic 10 seeds

10. Black Dragon

Deep red, ruffled, velvety leaves with a black-purple edge – Black Dragon looks like something out of a fairy tale and is unlike anything else on the windowsill.

→ Black Dragon 10 seeds

How to succeed with rare coleus from seed

Rare varieties are no harder than ordinary ones – the same rules apply: sow on the surface of moist sowing soil (the seeds need light to germinate), somewhere bright and warm (20–23 °C). You'll find the whole step-by-step guide in How to grow coleus plants from seeds.

Not sure which ones to choose? Start with a sample pack of 4 seed packets to try several series at a bundle price – or browse all our coleus seeds and pick for yourself.