New TrailBlazer Coleus Are Long-Lasting Foliage Annuals
Count on these for vivid color.
With their extremely late flowering and good natural branching, the new Glory Road and Road Trip coleus varieties provide a colorful show of large and plentiful leaves throughout the growing season, with no pinching required from the gardener. These coleus are versatile annuals that can provide filler in beds or serve as trailing plants in hanging baskets and other containers. Easy to grow, they are adaptable to different light levels and need only regular watering.
Common names: TrailBlazer Glory Road and Road Trip coleus
Botanical names: Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Baltazlord' (Glory Road) and P. s. 'Baltazrip' (Road Trip). (Solenostemon scutellarioides is a former name for this species.)
Exposure: Sun or shade
Flowers: Coleus in the TrailBlazer series flower very late in the growing season, or they don't flower at all. This is a positive trait for the gardener, because these coleus keep directing energy into leaf growth.
Foliage: Glory Road coleus has red leaves with burgundy mottling and a green margin. The leaf shape is maple like. Road Trip's leaves are solid burgundy with a green margin and a bright pink central splotch. The shape is rounded with scalloped edges.
Habit: Both of these varieties grow 6 to 10 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide, with a spreading habit and good branching. Planted in a hanging basket or other container, they will cascade over the sides.
Origin: Glory Road and Road Trip coleus were introduced in 2023 by BallSeed as part of the TrailBlazer line. The species Plectranthus scutellarioides (formerly Solenostemon scutellarioides) is a tender perennial native to Southeast Asia.
How to grow it: These coleus can grow in sun or shade. They require moderate watering. They are not drought tolerant but will bounce back if allowed to wilt. Because they were bred for delayed flowering and good branching, they do not need to be pinched back. Treat as an annual.
Related: More about growing coleus
Images courtesy of Ball Horticultural Company
