Plectranthus (Coleus Grp) 'Main Street Ruby Road' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Coleus

Plectranthus (Coleus Grp) 'Main Street Ruby Road'

£9.49 £9.99 SAVE 5%
Overwinter under coverShade-tolerant
Pot size
13cm / 1L £9.49

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Complete the set up
Simply Houseplant - Tropical Houseplant Potting Mix
The perfect soil Simply Houseplant - Tropical Houseplant Potting Mix · 2.5L · £3.99
Description

The Plectranthus (Coleus Grp) 'Main Street Ruby Road' is a knockout foliage exotic grown for its rich, ruby-red leaves. Part of the compact, weather-tough 'Main Street' series of coleus (botanically Coleus scutellarioides, and often sold under Plectranthus or Solenostemon), it delivers painterly, saturated colour all season without needing a single flower. Bushy and fast-growing, it makes an instant impact in a summer container, a bedding scheme or the front of an exotic border.

This is a tender plant, so in Britain it is grown as a foliage exotic for the warmer months rather than a permanent hardy perennial. Plant it out once the frosts have passed and enjoy its glowing ruby foliage right through summer and into autumn, then lift it and keep it frost-free over winter, or take quick and easy cuttings. Treated this way it rewards you year after year.

Keep the compost evenly moist through the growing season and feed monthly for lush growth. Pinch out the tips regularly for a denser, bushier plant and remove any flower spikes so the energy stays in those bold ruby leaves. Its tolerance of shade makes it a brilliant partner for plants for shade, lighting up a dim corner where flowers struggle.

Explore the rest of our hardy exotics range to build a lush, layered display. Every plant is nursery grown and selected for strong, richly coloured foliage.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

Find out more

What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Coleus

Plant me in full sun and bring me under cover before the frosts.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
Get to know me

About Coleus

Plectranthus (Coleus Grp) 'Main Street Ruby Road' needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is frost tender and must come under cover for winter.

Good for

Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H1c · Tender · frost-free only

tender, around RHS H1c to H2; protect from frost and overwinter at around 10 to 12C.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeEast-facingWest-facingSouth-facingSheltered

bright light to part shade; a little shade keeps the red rich and stops the leaves scorching.

Soil

LoamMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

fertile, moist but well-drained soil, or a good peat-free compost in pots and containers.

Watering

Keep the compost evenly moist through spring and summer and feed monthly for strong, colourful growth. Pinch out the tips for bushiness. Reduce watering over winter when kept frost-free indoors. Read moreShow less

Keep the compost evenly moist through spring and summer and feed monthly for strong, colourful growth. Pinch out the tips for bushiness. Reduce watering over winter when kept frost-free indoors.

Mature size

Height30-45 cm
Spread30-40 cm

Reaches full size in 1-2 years

Growth habit

Bushy

Flowering

Summer

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen (stays evergreen only when kept frost-free over winter)

Pruning

Pinch out the tips regularly for a bushy plant and remove flower spikes to keep the leaf colour bold. Not frost hardy, so lift or take cuttings before winter.

Toxicity

Coleus is considered mildly toxic to cats, dogs and horses if eaten, and the sap can irritate skin. Best kept out of reach of pets.

Native range

Of garden origin (SE Asia)

Family

Lamiaceae

Also known as

Plectranthus (Coleus Grp) 'Main Street Ruby Road'

Genus

Plectranthus →
More on caring for houseplants What does bright indirect light mean? Should I mist my houseplants?
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Coleus 'Main Street Ruby Road' hardy in the UK?

No. This coleus is a tender foliage exotic, around RHS H1c to H2, so it will not survive frost. Grow it for the warmer months and give it frost-free shelter over winter, or take cuttings to keep it going year to year.

Can I grow coleus outdoors in summer?

Yes, and it is superb for it. Plant it out after the last frost, once nights stay above about 10C, where it brings months of colour to pots and containers and exotic borders. Bring it under cover before the first autumn frosts.

Does coleus need sun or shade?

It is happy in bright light through to part shade. A little shade in hot gardens keeps the ruby-red colour rich and stops the leaves scorching, which makes it a great choice for planting for shade. Deep shade, though, dulls the colour and draws it leggy.

How do I overwinter Coleus 'Ruby Road'?

Lift it before the first frosts and keep it frost-free at around 10 to 12C on a bright windowsill or in a heated greenhouse, watering sparingly. Coleus roots very easily from cuttings taken in late summer, so many gardeners simply overwinter a few young plants. See our guide on what to expect from tender exotics.

How do I keep coleus bushy and colourful?

Pinch out the growing tips regularly for a dense, bushy plant, and remove the flower spikes as they appear so the plant keeps its energy in those bold ruby leaves rather than setting seed.

Is Coleus 'Ruby Road' safe around pets?

Coleus is considered mildly toxic to cats, dogs and horses if eaten and the sap can irritate skin, so it is best kept out of reach of curious pets. For more inspiration, browse our wider range of hardy exotics.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Plectranthus (Coleus Grp) 'Main Street Ruby Road'
£9.49 £9.99