How to Grow Ann Sparkes
Wikimedia Commons
Ann Sparkes
Coleus scutellarioides 'Ann Sparkes'
herbAnn Sparkes is a stunning coleus cultivar prized for its velvety, deeply lobed foliage featuring burgundy-red leaves with contrasting lime-green veining and edges. This tender perennial is grown primarily as an ornamental houseplant and annual bedding plant for its exceptional foliage color and texture rather than for culinary use. It thrives in bright, indirect light and makes an excellent choice for containers, hanging baskets, and garden displays.
When should you plant Ann Sparkes in your zone?
Get a personalized planting timeline — when to start seeds, transplant, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Free to start.
Example Ann Sparkes timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
-
Plant Ann Sparkes
Around Apr 17Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
-
Tend & protect
Late spring–summerWatering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
-
Harvest Ann Sparkes
Around May 17≈ 30 days after planting
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Ann Sparkes dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Best grown as a tender annual in zones 10-11, or as a houseplant/container plant elsewhere
Sign up free to see if Ann Sparkes grows in your zone — and get a personalized planting timeline.
Get my Ann Sparkes timeline →Growth Stages
Seedling
2-3 weeksTiny seedlings emerge with small, simple leaves. Very tender and fragile.
Keep under grow lights or bright windowsill. Maintain high humidity. Keep soil consistently moist. Do not allow to dry out.
Vegetative
4-8 weeksPlant develops multiple stems and increasingly lobed, deeply textured foliage with burgundy-red and lime-green coloring becoming more pronounced.
Pinch back growing tips to encourage bushiness and fuller shape. Maintain bright indirect light. Feed every 2 weeks with balanced fertilizer.
Mature Foliage
Ongoing (several months)Full-sized lobed leaves with rich burgundy centers and vibrant lime-green edges. Plant reaches desired size and fullness.
Continue pinching back flower spikes to maintain foliage focus. Maintain consistent moisture and bright light. Feed monthly.
Flowering
Varies, can occur year-round indoorsSmall lavender-blue flower spikes emerge from leaf axils. Flowers are generally insignificant compared to foliage.
Pinch off flower spikes as they appear to direct energy toward foliage production and maintain compact shape.
Decline/Dormancy
Winter or when conditions deterioratePlant may become leggy or decline in winter or with poor light conditions. Foliage loses vibrancy.
Take cuttings for propagation before decline. Cut back plant severely and provide brighter light, or start fresh from cuttings.
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
-
Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Isolate affected plants. Remove with alcohol-soaked cotton swab.
-
Increase humidity. Spray with water or insecticidal soap. Use neem oil if severe.
-
Use yellow sticky traps. Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Isolate infested plants.
-
Remove manually with alcohol-soaked cloth. Treat with neem oil or horticultural oil spray.
Uses
Indoor Houseplant
OrnamentalAnn Sparkes is an excellent tropical houseplant for brightening indoor spaces with its dramatic burgundy and lime-green foliage. It thrives on bright windowsills and adds year-round color and texture to home interiors. [source]
Container & Hanging Basket Display
CraftPerfect for outdoor containers, hanging baskets, and mixed plantings during warm months. The velvety, deeply lobed leaves create striking visual interest in combination with other foliage plants. [source]
Pollinator-Friendly Flowers
WildlifeThough grown primarily for foliage, Ann Sparkes produces small lavender flowers that attract bees and other pollinators when allowed to bloom. [source]
Propagation Stock Plant
HouseholdAnn Sparkes is easily propagated from stem cuttings, making it an economical source for creating multiple plants. Cuttings root quickly in water or moist soil. [source]
Harvest Tips
Harvest foliage by pinching off stem tips as needed for propagation or to shape the plant. Best done in morning. Cuttings root easily in water or moist soil. No traditional 'harvest' as this is an ornamental foliage plant.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Ann Sparkes was named as a specific cultivar designation and is prized by coleus enthusiasts for its distinctive deeply lobed leaf form and color combination, making it distinct from standard coleus varieties.
- 🌱 Coleus are some of the easiest houseplants to propagate—a cutting placed in water will develop roots in 1-2 weeks, making it perfect for sharing with other plant lovers.
- 🌱 Despite being called coleus, these plants are now botanically classified as Plectranthus or Solenostemon, reflecting recent taxonomic revisions in the mint family (Lamiaceae).
Gardening Terms
New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:
Join 30,000 gardeners planning their gardens with LizPlants.
Get your personalized Ann Sparkes planting timeline
Tell us your zip code and we'll calculate exactly when to start Ann Sparkes seeds, transplant seedlings, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Includes calendar reminders and printable task lists. Free to start.
Get my Ann Sparkes timeline →