Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’

 Coleus scutellarioides

KO-lee-us  skew-tell-ar-ee-OH-ih-deez

SYN.

Plectranthus scutellarioides

SYN.

Solenostemon scutellarioides

Coleus scutellarioides (L.) Benth. is the accepted scientific name for this species of Coleus. It was named and described as such by George Bentham in Plantae Asiaticae Rariores in 1830. It was first named and described as Ocimum scutellarioides by Carl von Linnaeus in the second volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

To read the research document published on Phytokeys, “Nomenclatural changes in Coleus and Plectranthus (Lamiaceae): a tale of more than two genera” by Alan J. Patton and others”, click HERE. I think this is the document presented to make the name changes. 

The two most common synonyms that plants are still sold under are Plectranthus scutellarioides and Solenostemon scutellarioides. 

Now a synonym, Plectranthus scutellarioides (L.) R.Br. was described as such by Robert Brown in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae in 1810.

Now a synonym, Solenostemon scutellarioides (L.) Codd was described by Leslie Edward Wastell Codd in Bothalia in 1975.

The genus, Coleus Lour., was named and described as such by João de Loureiro in Flora Cochinchinensis in 1790.

As of 12-19-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 301 species in the Coleus genus. It is a member of the plant family Lamiaceae with 232 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

THERE ARE A FEW LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING.

A friend of mine gave me a cutting of this AWESOME Coleus in the spring of 2010. It became one of my favorite Coleus.

Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’ is an upright grower to around 15”24” tall x 16” wide. I grew mine in where it received a good amount of sun until around noon.

There isn’t much online about the Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’. Dave’s Garden says next to “Additional cultivar information: aka Sunlover Rustic Orange”. I looked up information on the Sunlover Series. The series was introduced in 1993 that stemmed from research at the USDA facilities somewhere in the south. Some of the Coleus cultivars were released through trials at the University of Georgia (Athens) and were introduced under the name Athens Select series, including Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’. It is said they perform really well in full sun, but most information about C. ‘Rustic Orange’ says it needs part sun to full shade. The truth is, many Coleus varieties grow well in full sun.

One website indicated that Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’ is a Proven Winner’s Selection. It may have been at one time, but it currently is not. Another website said that Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’ is also marketed under the name ‘Klondike’.

Regardless of all the Coleus cultivars that come and go as new ones are introduced every year, Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’ remains one of the best I have grown. There are a few Coleus specialists that offer almost every Coleus cultivar ever grown. Rosy Dawn Gardens is one of them.

Hopefully someday Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’ and I will meet again. I may have to buy one online…

You can read my Coleus scutellarioides page by clicking HERE for more information and a list of all the Coleus I have grown.

I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant. If you notice I made an error, please let me know. Of course, you can always send me an email at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
PHYTOKEYS
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
GARDENING KNOW HOW