The Eye-Catching Coleus Variety That Will Beautify Your Yard & Attract Hummingbirds

Whether you want to grow them in sun or shade, there are many popular varieties of coleus for attracting hummingbirds to your garden. Of course, the more brilliantly colored these foliage plants are, the more likely they'll catch the eye of a hummer flying through your yard. Of particular interest to these little birds are coleus varieties with leaves in shades of red or pink, including a relatively new Proven Winners cultivar known as Coleus scutellarioides ColorBlaze 'Torchlight.' If you see 'Torchlight' mass planted in a garden bed, you'll understand why it will instantly beautify your yard and bring in hummingbirds.

The pretty leaves are lime green, but they have a bright pink midrib and darker red veins. Whether 'Torchlight' is planted in the garden or a container, all you'll see from a distance is a sea of vibrant green, red, and pink. In some specimens, most of the leaf is covered in a deep red, leaving only a bright outline of lime green and that distinctive iridescent pink midrib. With all of that color on display, hummingbirds will definitely be making a beeline for your garden. In fact, 'Torchlight' was named a 2018 Best New Plant by the Trial Gardens at the University of Georgia. Even though coleus are generally considered colorful plants to grow in your garden that aren't flowers, they do produce tiny purple blooms on tall inflorescences. They pop up in summer, and hummers are attracted to the nectar.

You can grow Coleus scutellarioides ColorBlaze 'Torchlight' as a perennial only if you live in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 11. Coleus species originate from the warm, humid tropics of Asia. In other parts of the U.S., you must grow it as an annual or plant it in a container to bring inside over winter. It suits life in a pot quite well because it forms a tidy mound up to 3 feet high and wide as it matures. Coleus are also some of the best plants to grow in containers because you can mix species and cultivars to create a wildly colorful display.

When you plant 'Torchlight' in the ground or in a large container, pinch off the tips of the stems when the plant is still young. This encourages branching. To attract hummingbirds, set up a large container or hanging basket filled with 'Torchlight' — and perhaps some other coleus varieties — near your nectar feeders. Keep the arrangement out of the afternoon sun, or the plants may wilt or bleach in the heat. A spot in your backyard that gets morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal. If you wish to grow this vibrant coleus cultivar in the ground, a single application of slow-release fertilizer at the time of planting is sufficient. You should give your container-grown plants an application of slow-release fertilizer pellets every couple of months, or apply liquid fertilizer more frequently.