Coleus barbatus

A semi-succulent, aromatic subshrub up to about 1.5 m, found from East Africa and Arabia to the Himalaya and Sri Lanka. Most wild records come from mid-elevation highlands, where days are warm, nights cool and the light is bright. It is easy to grow if kept frost-free, given strong light and allowed to dry slightly between waterings.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night A clear drop at nightTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows on rocky hillsides, in bushland, grassland edges and disturbed ground in the seasonally dry tropics, often between shrubs or rocks that give some midday shade. The genus as a whole favours open, well-drained sites; little habitat detail is published for this species.

Recorded from sea level to 2,255 m, but the median of 1,701 m (92 records) shows it is mainly a plant of tropical highlands such as Ethiopia and Kenya.

BurundiChina South-CentralDR CongoEast HimalayaEritreaEthiopiaIndiaKenyaNepalOmanRwandaSaudi ArabiaSomaliaSri LankaSudan-South SudanTanzania

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.