Help with identification pls

Can anyone suggest what this might be please .. it grows very fast and loves water...

 

Iresine herbstii.

I use it as a bedding plant.

 

Many thanks for that, it was driving me crazy trying to identify it via Google images!

 

your welcome
:thumb:

 

How would you tell that from a Coleus Pete?

 

Dunno mate,:lollol:
That is a very nice specimen.

It just looks more Iresine than coleus, off the top of my head I would say coleus is more hairy, and much more varied in leaf pattern and colour.

 

Thanks Pete.

I have learnt about the existance of Iresine from this thread. In my ignorance I would have just called any attractive leaf thing a Coleus. Thats the problem with plants. There are so many different ones, that as soon as you think you have cracked the name of an odd looking plant, you find out that there are hundreds of other things that look similar. :lollol:

 

The main difference is that Iresine has a shiney leaf whereas Coleus is matt it is also stiffer, not so soft as Coleus.

There is a variety of Perilla I grow for bedding called Perilla Magilla and that is identical to a Coleus in every way but it isn't one.

 

I've never had Iresine go to seed, I asume it does at some stage.

When coleus flowers it ruins the plants, something that always happened when I grew coleus.

Yep I grew Perilla one year and could not understand why it was not a coleus

 

Thank you Strongy - I am enlightened and confused all at the same time. :dh:

 

I'll take a couple of pics of Coleus and Perilla Magilla and post them tomorrow to confuse you even more.:D

 

Peter, here are pics of Perilla Magilla and a Coleus, they are incredibly similar in appearance (not necesarilly in colour) and habit.
Returning to the thread (of which I have sort of hijacked) The more common Perilla Frutescens Purpurea is also known as the Beefstaek Plant same as Iresene.
Perilla Magilla.


Coleus Wizard Vevet Red.

 

Strongy - many thanks. Perilla is totally new to me. I would have sworn it was a Coleus.

They have a national collection of Coleus near me at Templs Newsam in Leeds. It really is a fantastic sight. But I am not quite sure how to handle them. I bought some plugs, a couple of years ago, that turned into lovely plants inside my summerhouse. But when I put them outside in full sun and wind - they hated it.

 

I think they are better off in planters in a sheltered position, which applies to Iresene as well.