Coleus flowering – should you cut the flowers off?

Yes, most of the time you should cut the flowers off. Coleus are grown for their beautiful colors. When the plant flowers, its energy goes into seeds instead of new leaves, while the plant turns leggy and the colors fade. But there are times when you can let the flowers stay.

Why do coleus flower?

Flowering and setting seed is a natural part of the plant's life cycle. Flowering usually gets going in late summer and autumn. That's largely a matter of day length. Long summer days hold flowering back, so when the days grow shorter, most coleus start to flower.

Modern varieties are also bred to flower late. The breeders behind several of our series highlight late flowering as a feature in its own right, because the foliage should stay in focus for as long as possible. So if your coleus flowers early in the season, it's often a sign that something is stressing the plant.

What happens when the plant flowers?

When the plant starts flowering, three things happen:

New leaf growth slows down – the energy goes into flowers and seeds.

The colors fade – the plant's beautiful colors last longer if flowering is interrupted.

The plant stretches – the flower stalks make it a little leggy at the top.

How to interrupt flowering

Cut the flower bud off as soon as it appears. The sooner you catch it, the less energy the plant puts into flowering. Feel free to use scissors and cut two pairs of leaves below the bud. The plant will branch there instead and grow bushier. If you cut too high up, the plant often tries to flower again because it has already switched into flowering mode. It's the same principle as pinching. You'll find the whole guide in How to trim coleus plants.

You're simply choosing whether you want the focus on the foliage or seeds for next year.

When can you let the flowers stay?

If you want to harvest your own seeds, flowering is exactly what you've been waiting for. Coleus are self-pollinating, so a single plant is enough:

1. Let the flower stalk finish blooming and dry out completely on the plant. That gives the seeds time to ripen.

2. Cut the stalk off, crumble it and pick out the small round seeds.

3. Only dark seeds (black or blackish brown) are viable. Pale seeds are immature and won't germinate.

Keep in mind that not all varieties produce seeds reliably, and not all seedlings will look like the mother plant.

Frequently asked questions

Should you cut the flowers off coleus?

Yes, if you want a dense plant with strong colors. Cut the buds off early and make the cut two pairs of leaves further down. Only let the flowers stay if you want to harvest seeds.

Why is my coleus flowering?

It's completely natural for coleus to flower. The plant wants to produce seeds, and it usually does so in late summer as the days grow shorter.

Can you sow seeds from your own coleus?

Yes, coleus are self-pollinating. Let the flower stalk dry on the plant and pick out the dark seeds. You'll find the whole sowing guide in How to grow coleus plants from seeds.

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