How to Cut Back Coleus

Coleus grows with colorful foliage, filling a partly sunny or partly shady location with leaves in a rainbow of hues. The beautiful foliage of a coleus plant makes up for the blossoms, which some gardeners prefer to remove. Keep a coleus plant attractive in a growing area by pruning it throughout the growing season. Cut back coleus to keep the plant bushy with lateral growth and to limit the blossoms that appear on the plant.

Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Monitor the growing habits of the coleus throughout the growing season. When you notice the coleus stems becoming leggy and stalky, cutting back the coleus helps shape it into a more attractive plant.
- 2
  Cut back the coleus with the pruning shears, removing the terminal shoots (tips of the stems) back to the first leaf node to encourage lateral branching.
- 3
  Remove flowers when they appear in middle to late summer to keep the coleus growing attractively. Flowers can divert plant energy and a coleus may stop growing energetically if you allow flowers to fade and seeds to form. Snip off the flowers with the pruning shears, cutting the stems off at the top leaf node.

How to Trim Coleus Plants

Is There a Sun-Tolerant Coleus?

Growing Annuals