Coleus scutellarioides ‘Main Street Bourbon Street’

Breeding, selection and natural origin of Coleus scutellarioides ‘Main Street Bourbon Street’

‘Main Street Bourbon Street’ began as the University of Florida selection ‘UF19-82-2’. It came from open pollination in Gainesville, Florida, in 2018, with ‘UF18-72-2’ as the seed parent and an unknown pollen parent, and was chosen in 2019. Its deep crimson foliage, defined yellow-green margins, pronounced lobing, strong branching, heat tolerance and reliable colour in sun and shade made it a distinctive addition to Dümmen Orange’s Main Street series.

The parent species, Coleus scutellarioides, comes from wet tropical parts of Asia and the western Pacific through to northern Australia. Cultivation has turned its naturally variable foliage into a wide range of colours and growth habits while retaining the species’ soft, quick-growing stems.

Growing Coleus scutellarioides ‘Main Street Bourbon Street’

• Growth rhythm and repotting: Give the roots more space once they crowd the pot, using a container only slightly larger. When cooler or lower-light conditions slow growth, reduce water and feed accordingly.
• Managing its width: The cultivar is naturally well branched and spreading. Shorten selected long shoots just above a node if it outgrows its space, leaving the rest of the crown intact.
• Light: Use bright light indoors to keep the canopy dense. Its foliage has shown good colour stability across sun and shade outdoors; introduce direct sun gradually for an indoor-grown plant.
• Water: Water when the upper portion of the potting mix has started to dry and the pot is noticeably lighter. Soak the root ball evenly, then allow excess water to drain.
• Roots and potting mix: Grow it in an airy mix that holds some moisture and drains freely, in a container with an open drainage hole. Let the surface begin to dry between waterings while the deeper root zone retains some moisture.
• Warmth and humidity: Warm, stable conditions around 18–25 °C suit it; 10 °C is the lower limit for prolonged exposure. Target around 50–60% humidity for routine care. Air should still move lightly around the plant.
• Feeding: During new shoot growth, use a light-to-moderate dose of complete fertiliser; then reduce feeding as growth slows.

Common ‘Bourbon Street’ problems

• Stems lengthen and the canopy becomes open: Insufficient indoor light is the first cause to correct. Increase brightness gradually and wait for firmer new growth before pruning the longest stems back to a node.
• The yellow-green lobes turn tan and brittle: Check the exposure and the moisture pattern. Damage on the window side suggests sun scorch; crisping on leaves throughout the plant points more strongly to repeated drying.
• Leaves droop while the mix is still wet: Stop treating the wilt as thirst. Check for poor drainage, dark or soft roots and a softened stem base. If you find rot, cut back to firm healthy tissue with a disinfected blade, discard the rotten material and restart or repot healthy growth in a clean, airy mix.
• Young leaves curl around clusters of small insects: Aphids often collect on tender tips. Isolate the plant, wash off light infestations and use an indoor-ornamental treatment labelled for aphids if they return, following the label directions and repeat interval.
• Angular brown lesions spread between veins: Check the leaf undersides for grey-purple growth associated with coleus downy mildew. Separate the plant promptly, remove badly affected foliage and improve spacing and airflow; discard severely affected plants.

Coleus scutellarioides ‘Main Street Bourbon Street’ is non-toxic to cats and dogs

• This plant is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
• Its effects on people are unclear, so keep it away from young children who may chew it.
• Eating a large amount can still cause an upset stomach. Seek medical or veterinary advice if symptoms continue.

Why is it called Coleus scutellarioides?

The name Coleus comes from the Greek word koleos, meaning “sheath”, and refers to the stamens joined at their base. The species name scutellarioides means “resembling Scutellaria”, another genus in the mint family.

João de Loureiro established the genus Coleus in 1790 in Flora Cochinchinensis, page 372.

Carl Linnaeus first described it as Ocimum scutellarioides in 1763 in Species Plantarum, second edition, page 834. George Bentham later placed it in Coleus as Coleus scutellarioides in 1830 in Plantae Asiaticae Rariores, volume 2, page 16.