Coleus in winter – how to overwinter your plants

In winter, as the days grow shorter, coleus enter a resting period. In northern Europe that means roughly October to February. The plants barely grow and therefore need far less water and no fertilizer. With the right spot and a light hand with the watering can, the plants get through the dark season just fine and take off again in spring.

Are coleus winter-hardy?

No. Coleus originally come from tropical Southeast Asia and can't take any frost. A single night below freezing is enough to kill the plant. Sadly, there are no winter-hardy varieties. The plant can suffer as soon as nights creep below about 10 °C, so bring your coleus indoors in plenty of time in fall.

Coleus are perennials all the same. As a houseplant, the same plant can live for many years, and in frost-free regions they stay outdoors year-round. In northern Europe, they are instead grown as annuals in flower beds and window boxes and sown fresh every spring.

The right spot in winter

Place your coleus in the brightest window you have. Overwintering works even better with a grow light, because light is what the plants lack most in winter. The temperature should not drop below 10 °C. Avoid the spot right above a hot radiator, because dry rising heat and coleus are a bad combination. Also make sure the leaves do not touch the cold windowpane.

Watering and feeding in winter

The most important thing during overwintering is not to water too much. Stick a finger into the soil before you reach for the watering can, and water only once the soil has dried out. If your pots have drainage holes and saucers, you can water from below. Fill the saucer, let the plant soak up what it wants and pour off the rest.

Don't feed at all during dormancy. The exception is plants kept under a grow light that are actually growing. They can have a weak dose of liquid plant food.

Cut back in fall

Cut large plants back a bit in October so there is less foliage. Always leave some leaves on the plant, because they are the ones that catch the scarce winter light. Save the hard pruning for spring, when the plant starts growing again. You'll find out how to trim and shape coleus in How to trim coleus plants.

Paler colors and leaf drop are normal

Expect the colors to fade over winter and the plant to drop some leaves. That is nothing to worry about, just a completely normal reaction to the weaker light. As soon as the days grow longer, the plants start growing again and the colors come back. If the plant drops a lot of leaves, however, it is usually somewhere too dark, too cold, or too wet. Move it somewhere brighter and warmer and water less.

Cuttings instead of big plants

Our best fall advice for outdoor plants is to take cuttings and overwinter small plants instead of the big mother plant. Small plants take up less space and need less light on the windowsill. Plants that have been outside all summer easily bring pests in with them. Still want to bring in a big summer plant? Give it a thorough shower, check the undersides of the leaves too, and keep it in a separate room for one to two weeks before it joins your other houseplants.

Or start over from seed in spring

Many of our customers grow coleus as annuals and sow fresh every spring. From seed you get a full plant bursting with color in a few months, and you can sow as early as January under a grow light or from early spring on the windowsill. The full guide is in How to grow coleus plants from seeds.

Frequently asked questions

Are coleus winter-hardy?

No. No coleus variety tolerates frost. The plants must overwinter indoors, or you start again from seed in spring.

Can coleus overwinter outside?

Only where winters are frost-free. As soon as nights dip below about 10 °C, coleus must come indoors. They do not survive frost.

Are coleus perennials?

Yes, indoors. As a houseplant, a coleus lives for many years. Outdoors the plants only survive where winters are frost-free.

When do you cut back coleus?

Lightly in fall before dormancy, to reduce the foliage. The hard pruning is done in spring, when the plant starts growing again. That is when it branches out and grows dense and bushy.

Why is my coleus dropping leaves in winter?

A little leaf drop is normal, caused by the weak light. If the plant drops a lot of leaves, it is often somewhere too dark, too cold, or too wet. Move it somewhere brighter and warmer and water less.

Want new colors for spring?

We carry seeds for over 70 coleus varieties, including rare varieties you won't find in stores.

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