- Botanical name: Coleus caninus
- Common name: Scaredy cat
- Family: Lamiaceae
- Plant Type: Perennial
Blue
Purple
Blue/Green
- Key features:
- Attractive to wildlife
Coleus caninus is known as the scaredy cat or scat plant, as its smell is said to deter cats, as well as other mammals including dogs, rabbits, and foxes. Reports suggest that this plant deters around two-thirds of all cats, so it’s not a fail-safe solution, but worth trying where neighbouring cats are visiting your garden and using flower or vegetable borders for their toilet.
Cat deterring aside, Coleus caninus is an attractive frost-tender perennial plant that forms a neat bush of lush foliage and bears blue flowers in summer. The rounded to scallop-edged green or grey-green leaves have a pungent unpleasant smell to humans, though mostly only when touched or bruised. Pale blue to violet blue flowers form lavender-like spires and are borne through summer, although not in the same abundance as lavender. Once established, Coleus caninus tolerates drought and is easy to grow, needing little attention apart from pruning stems that become straggly (wear gloves, as pruning releases the plants’ unpleasant smell).
Plant Coleus caninus in borders or pots – the advantage of growing in containers is being able to readily move plants under cover for the winter to a frost-free place. A space-saving alternative is to take cuttings from mid- to late-summer, pot individually into small pots, and overwinter on a windowsill.
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Advice on buying Coleus caninus
- Coleus caninus is sold online as plug plants for delivery in spring. Pot up individually into 9cm pots and grow on in a well-lit spot under cover until the frosts are past, then harden off (acclimatise to the outside) for at least a week before planting out
- Other names that this plant may be sold under are Solenostemon canina and Plectranthus caninus.
- Always check plants for signs of damage or disease before planting. Alocasia ‘Black Velvet’ can be prone to spider mites, so it would be worth quarantining new plants, particularly before adding to a terrarium.
Where to buy Coleus caninus
How to grow Coleus caninus
-
Plant size
40cm height
40cm spread
-
Aspect
South facing, east facing, west facing
-
Position in border
Front, middle
- Sun exposure: Full sun, partial shade
- Hardiness: Tender
- Soil type: Clay / heavy / moist / well drained / light / sandy
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do not Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do Plant in June |
J
Do not Plant in July |
A
Do not Plant in August |
S
Do not Plant in September |
O
Do not Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Flowers |
J
Plant does not flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does not flower in March |
A
Plant does not flower in April |
M
Plant does not flower in May |
J
Plant does flower in June |
J
Plant does flower in July |
A
Plant does flower in August |
S
Plant does not flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
| Take cuttings | ||||||||||||
| Take cuttings |
J
Do not Take cuttings in January |
F
Do not Take cuttings in February |
M
Do not Take cuttings in March |
A
Do not Take cuttings in April |
M
Do not Take cuttings in May |
J
Do not Take cuttings in June |
J
Do not Take cuttings in July |
A
Do not Take cuttings in August |
S
Do Take cuttings in September |
O
Do not Take cuttings in October |
N
Do not Take cuttings in November |
D
Do not Take cuttings in December |
Coleus caninus and wildlife
Coleus caninus is known for attracting bees.
Attractive to Bees
Does not attract Beneficial insects
Does not attract Birds
Does not attract Butterflies/Moths
Does not attract Other pollinators
Is Coleus caninus poisonous?
Coleus caninus causes an upset stomach.
Toxic to Cats
Toxic to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
