Bountiful Gardens

The Neon Navigator: Plectranthus 'Guacamole'

This variety features large, scalloped leaves in a brilliant chartreuse-yellow (the color of fresh guacamole) with deep, mahogany-red or maroon veins and stems. The contrast is so sharp it almost looks hand-painted.

Role in the Garden

• Design Category: Filler. It grows in a lush, rounded mound (12–24 inches tall and wide). It is the perfect plant to "bridge" the gap between a tall Thriller and a trailing Spiller.

• Best Placement: It excels in mixed containers, shady borders, and hanging baskets. Because the color is so bright, it’s often used to "light up" dark corners of a porch or patio.

• Bloom Season: Foliage-focused (All Season). It may produce tiny, inconspicuous lavender flower spikes in late summer, but most gardeners snip them off to keep the energy in the leaves.

Care & Maintenance

• The "Sun Versatility" Secret: Unlike old-school Coleus that bleached out in the sun, 'Guacamole' is part of a newer generation that can handle Sun or Shade. In the sun, the chartreuse turns more gold; in the shade, it stays a limey-green.

• The "Pinch" for Density: To prevent it from getting "leggy" or tall, pinch off the top inch of the stems every few weeks. This forces the plant to grow sideways, creating a much thicker, more impressive mound.

• Watering Strategy: It has succulent-like stems that store some water, but it prefers consistent moisture. If the leaves start to droop, it’s thirsty—give it a soak, and it will "pop" back to life within the hour.

• Deer & Rabbit Resistance: Generally, critters find the fuzzy texture and aromatic oils of Plectranthus/Coleus unappealing, making it a safe bet for open gardens.

The Essential Tip for Beginners

The "Flower Sacrifice": If you see your 'Guacamole' starting to send up a thin, flowery stalk at the top, cut it off immediately. Once a Coleus starts to flower, it thinks its job is done and will stop producing those beautiful leaves. By "dead-heading" the flowers, you trick the plant into staying in "leaf-mode" all the way until winter!