How To Overwinter Coleus Plants Indoors (2 Easy Ways!)

Overwintering coleus is easy, and it’s a great way to save your favorite varieties year after year.

In this post, I’ll show you how to keep the plants alive indoors over the winter, and give you tons of care tips too.

Overwintering Coleus: How To Winter Coleus Indoors

Coleus is one of the most colorful plants for the garden or summer containers, and they add a wonderful tropical feel. They come in all kinds of color combinations too.

One of the things I love the most is that they can survive inside over the winter. So you can save that beautiful foliage for years to come!

Another benefit of overwintering coleus is that you can keep your favorite varieties without spending a dime new plants in spring.

It might sound like a lot of work, but don’t worry. Overwintering coleus indoors is pretty easy, and I will show you exactly how to do it.

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Coleus Cold Tolerance

Even though they’re usually sold as annuals in most areas, they’re actually tender perennials that can survive for many years in the right climate.

Coleus temperature tolerance isn’t very high, and they can’t handle the cold. They’re only hardy in zones 10 or warmer, and will start to suffer when it is consistently below 60°F (15.5°C).

Though they can handle brief periods of freezing temps, they will quickly start to die after the first touches of frost in the fall.

Different types of coleus in an outdoor container

Methods For Overwintering Coleus

There are two ways you can overwinter coleus indoors. You can use these same methods for any variety you have…

Potted coleus plants can be brought inside and kept as a houseplant.
You can take cuttings, and bring those indoors for the winter.

How To Overwinter Coleus Indoors

Below I will describe both of these methods in detail. If you’ve never tried overwintering coleus before, experiment with both to see which one works best for you.

1. Keeping Coleus As A Houseplant

If your coleus is in a pot, you can overwinter it as a houseplant by bringing the whole container inside the house.

Trim it back to a more manageable size before moving it indoors if it’s too big for your space. If you do, be sure to keep the cuttings so you can try the second method too.

Keep in mind that it is used to being outside all summer. So the plant may droop or even drop a few leaves after bringing it indoors. That’s completely normal, and it should pop back in a few days.

2. Overwintering Coleus Cuttings Indoors

As an alternative to bringing the whole plant indoors, you can take cuttings. This is a great option if you have limited space, or yours is planted in the garden rather than a pot.

They root easily in water, and can be kept there, or you can pot them up using a general purpose soil.

If you want to try leaving them in water, check on it periodically, and refresh it if it’s cloudy or as it evaporates. Never let it get below the roots, or they could dry out.

Stinky or mucky water is a sign of rot, so check if the stems are mushy. If you’re struggling with keeping them in water, then it’s best to put them in potting soil instead.

Learn exactly how to propagate coleus plants here, in my step by step guide.

Coleus cuttings in water to overwinter indoors

Bringing Coleus Indoors For The Winter

No matter which method you want to use for overwintering coleus, it’s very important that you bring them indoors at the right time. If it gets too cold, they likely won’t survive, so follow the tips below.

When To Bring Coleus Plants Inside

The foliage declines very quickly when the weather gets chilly in the fall. So if you want to keep your coleus through winter, then bring it indoors before the temperature gets below 60°F (15.5°C) outside.

If you forget, and it’s in the high 50s°F, you might still be able to save it if the foliage is in good shape. But you’ll definitely need to move it in before frost damages the plant.

Once they start to die back from the cold, it’s difficult to revive them.

How To Bring Coleus In For Winter

However you decide to try overwintering coleus, it’s important to debug the plants before bringing them indoors.

You can debug cuttings using the same method, or you can do it on a smaller scale inside. Simply soak them in the sink for about 10 minutes to drown any insects.

Add a squirt of mild liquid soap to the water to help kill the bugs faster. Then rinse the leaves, and place the cuttings into a vase of water to root them.

Once you have them inside, put them in a sunny window where you can leave them until spring.

Soaking coleus cuttings in water to kill bugs

Tips For Coleus Plant Care In Winter

Coleus care indoors in winter is a bit different than it is outdoors during the summer. They are pretty easy to grow indoors, but do require a bit of extra care to get them through the winter.

The three things you’ll have to worry about the most are lighting, water, and bugs. Here are some winter care tips to help you out…

Light Requirements

Though they prefer the shade outside, coleus plants will grow their best indoors with lots of light. Place the pot in a sunny window where it will get plenty of bright, but indirect sunlight.

If you don’t have much natural light in your home, then you can add a grow light to keep them from getting leggy and reaching for the window.

Plug it into an outlet timer to give it plenty of light, even when you’re not home.

Watering In Winter

Proper watering is one of the biggest challenges that people have. The goal is to keep the soil evenly moist through the winter, and never dry or soggy.

The way to achieve this is to allow the soil to dry out a bit on top before watering it again. To avoid overwatering, always check it first.

Stick your finger one inch into the soil to make sure it’s not wet. If feels dry, then water it. You can get an inexpensive soil moisture gauge to help you get it perfect every time.

Controlling Bugs

One of the biggest challenges of overwintering coleus indoors is controlling houseplant pests. If you find bugs, you should act fast to get rid of them.

Wash the leaves with a mix of 1 teaspoon of mild liquid soap per 1 liter of water. If you don’t want to make your own, you can buy organic insecticidal soap instead.

You could also try using neem oil as a longer term solution to kill the bugs, and prevent future infestations.

Moving Coleus Plants Back Outside In Spring

When spring arrives, you’ll be excited that your coleus made it through the winter indoors, and ready to move it back outside.

But don’t get too anxious. It’s very important to do it at the right time, and take the proper steps to ensure it will survive the transition.

When To Move Coleus Back Outside

Wait to move your coleus back outside until all chance of frost is gone, and the nighttime temps are consistently above 60°F.

This is usually a couple of weeks after your average last frost date in the spring. But always keep an eye on the forecast to make sure it’s safe.

If frost is predicted, then move it inside or into the garage to protect it. Don’t try covering it, because it may not be strong enough to survive.

How To Move Coleus Back Outside

After being indoors all winter, it can take some time for coleus to adjust to life outside again. They aren’t used to wind and intense light yet.

So, when you move it back outside, place it in a well protected shady area. After a few weeks, you can slowly start moving it closer to the designated spot each day.

FAQs About Overwintering Coleus

In this section, I’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about how to overwinter coleus. If you can’t find yours here, then ask it in the comments below.

How cold is too cold for coleus?

The lowest temperature coleus can tolerate is 33°F (5.5°C), but only for very brief periods of time. And that is really too cold for them. Though they can handle a light frost, if it dips below freezing for long, they will die. They prefer temps above 60°F – the hotter the better.

Does coleus come back after winter each year?

Coleus does come back after winter each year if you live in a warm enough climate (zones 10+) where it stays above freezing. However it will not survive outside in colder areas.

Can coleus survive winter outdoors?

Coleus can survive the winter outdoors in zones 10 and higher. Some people may even be lucky enough to see them survive in warm microclimates of zone 9b, if you really want to push their zone.

Can coleus survive indoors in winter?

Yes, coleus can survive indoors in winter, and they make lovely houseplants. Place your plant in a warm location where it will get bright, indirect sunlight, and keep the soil evenly moist.

Can coleus survive winter in a garage?

Coleus plants can survive winter in a garage as long as it stays above freezing. But I would recommend keeping it above 40°F (4.5°C) for the best results. At these cooler temperatures, the plant will go into a dormant state, so take care not to overwater through the winter.

Can you overwinter potted coleus?

Yes, you can overwinter potted coleus plants indoors fairly easily. Keep it near a sunny window where it will get bright or filtered light, and never let the soil dry completely.

Overwintering coleus indoors takes a bit of work, but it’s worth the effort to keep your favorite varieties year after year.

Now that you see how easy it is to bring them indoors as cuttings or houseplants, you won’t have to pay for new ones next spring.

If you want to learn all there is to know about maintaining healthy indoor plants, then you need my Houseplant Care eBook. It will show you everything you need to know about how to keep every plant in your home thriving. Download your copy now!