Flower Gardening

Colourful Foliage and Ornamental Plants: Coleus, Kochia, Salvia, Ornamental Pepper, Chinese Lantern and Rainbow Corn

9 min read
Colourful Foliage and Ornamental Plants: Coleus, Kochia, Salvia, Ornamental Pepper, Chinese Lantern and Rainbow Corn

When the summer heat arrives in Pakistan, most winter flowers fade, and gardens can quickly look tired. That is when colourful foliage and ornamental plants come into their own. Coleus brings rainbow leaves to shady balconies, kochia forms neat green globes that blaze red in autumn, scarlet salvia flowers right through the heat, and ornamental peppers, Chinese lanterns and rainbow corn add colourful fruits, husks and cobs for decoration. This guide covers how to grow all six from seed, when to sow them and how to keep them looking their best.

Table of Contents

At a Glance: Six Ornamental Plants

Plant Grown for Height Light Best use
Coleus Multicoloured leaves 30–60 cm Bright shade to morning sun Balconies, shady beds, indoor pots
Kochia Round green bushes that turn red 60–100 cm Full sun Low hedges, borders, formal edging
Salvia coccinea Scarlet flower spikes 60–90 cm Sun to part shade Borders, pollinator gardens
Ornamental pepper Colourful upright fruits 20–45 cm Full sun Pots, edging, festive displays
Chinese lantern Orange papery husks 45–60 cm Sun to part shade Dried arrangements, cooler gardens
Rainbow corn Multicoloured cobs 1.5–2 m Full sun Decoration, crafts, garden screens

When to Sow in Pakistan

Plant Plains: spring Plains: monsoon/autumn Hills
Coleus February–April July–August April–May
Kochia March–April — April–May
Salvia coccinea February–April August–September April–May
Ornamental pepper February–March July–August April–May
Chinese lantern February–March September–October March–April (best)
Rainbow corn February–March July April–June

These are warm-season plants. Seeds germinate poorly below 18–20°C, so in the plains wait until mid-February or later. If you buy seed now, store it in a cool, dry place until spring.

Starting Seeds for Summer Plants

  • Seed mix: 60% coco peat, 20% vermicompost and 20% perlite.
  • Trays: start coleus, kochia, salvia, peppers and Chinese lantern in seedling trays and transplant at 4–6 leaves. Sow rainbow corn directly in the ground.
  • Warmth: keep trays at 20–28°C. In February, a warm, bright windowsill indoors speeds up germination.
  • Light-loving seeds: coleus and kochia need light to germinate, so press them onto the surface without covering.

For a full method, see our guide to starting seeds indoors in Pakistan.

Coleus Rainbow Mix

Coleus Rainbow Mix Seeds produce plants with dazzling, variegated leaves in red, green, pink, yellow, purple and magenta. Because the colour comes from the leaves, coleus stays colourful all season, even in shade where few flowers perform.

  • Sowing: sprinkle the tiny seeds on the surface, press in, and do not cover. Keep moist and warm; seedlings appear in 10–14 days. Leaf colours show after 3–4 weeks.
  • Light: bright shade or morning sun. In harsh afternoon sun, colours fade and leaves scorch.
  • Pinching: pinch tips regularly and remove flower spikes as soon as they appear. This keeps plants bushy and focused on leaves.
  • Cuttings: keep your favourite colours by rooting 10 cm cuttings in water or moist coco peat. They root in about a week.
  • Indoors: coleus also grows well near a bright window as a houseplant.

Kochia (Burning Bush)

Kochia Summer Flower Seeds (Bassia scoparia) grow into dense, rounded bushes of fine, feathery green foliage that look like small cypress trees. As nights cool in autumn, they turn fiery red, orange and purple, which gives them the name "burning bush".

  • Sowing: surface sow in trays or directly in March–April; seed needs light. Seedlings appear in 7–14 days.
  • Spacing: 45–60 cm apart for individual globes, or 30 cm apart for a low summer hedge.
  • Care: very heat and drought tolerant once established. Water moderately and avoid rich soil, which makes plants floppy.
  • Control spreading: kochia self-seeds heavily and can become weedy. Pull plants out once the autumn colour fades, before the seeds drop, and do not plant near fields.

Salvia Coccinea (Scarlet Sage)

Salvia Coccinea Seeds grow into airy bushes 60–90 cm tall, covered with slender spikes of vivid scarlet tubular flowers. Unlike many flowers, it thrives in heat and humidity, flowering from summer right through autumn, and it is a favourite of bees, butterflies and sunbirds.

  • Sowing: sow 2–3 mm deep in trays. Germination takes 7–14 days at 20–25°C.
  • Planting: 30–40 cm apart in sun or light shade.
  • Care: cut back faded spikes to encourage new flowers. Once established, it is fairly drought tolerant.
  • Perennial in the plains: it often survives mild winters and comes back, and it self-seeds gently.

Ornamental Pepper

Ornamental Pepper Seeds produce compact plants covered in small, glossy, upright peppers that change colour as they ripen, through purple, yellow, orange and red, often all on one plant at the same time.

  • Sowing: sow 5 mm deep in trays at 24–28°C. Germination takes 10–21 days; peppers need warmth.
  • Planting: one plant per 8–10 inch pot, or 25–30 cm apart in beds, in full sun.
  • Feeding: feed every 15–20 days with Rose 'n Flowers Bloom Booster once flowering starts, for more fruit.
  • Safety: the peppers are edible but usually very hot. Keep plants out of reach of small children, and wash your hands after handling the fruit.

Chinese Red Lantern

Chinese Red Lantern Seeds (Physalis alkekengi) grow into a perennial with small white flowers followed by papery, lantern-shaped husks that turn bright orange-red as they ripen. The dried stems of lanterns are a favourite for autumn decoration and long-lasting arrangements.

  • Where it grows best: Chinese lantern prefers a temperate climate. It does best in the hills and cooler northern areas; in the plains, grow it in a spot with afternoon shade and regular moisture.
  • Sowing: sow 3–5 mm deep in trays. Germination is slow and uneven, often 15–30 days, so be patient and keep the mix just moist.
  • Planting: 30–45 cm apart. It spreads by underground runners, so a large pot or a contained bed keeps it in check.
  • Drying lanterns: cut stems when the husks have turned orange, strip the leaves and hang them upside down in a dry, shaded place.
  • Safety: treat it as an ornamental. The leaves, stems and unripe fruit are toxic, so keep it away from children and pets.

Rainbow Corn

Rainbow Corn (Maiz) Ornamental Seeds grow tall stalks with cobs of jewel-like kernels in red, blue, purple, yellow and more. Every cob is different, which makes them wonderful for decoration, crafts and school projects.

  • Sowing: sow directly 3–4 cm deep, 25–30 cm apart, once the soil is warm.
  • Plant in blocks: corn is wind-pollinated, so plant in a block of at least 4 rows rather than a single line. This gives fully filled cobs.
  • Keep it separate: plant it well away from sweet corn, or sow the two at least 3–4 weeks apart. Cross-pollination makes sweet corn starchy.
  • Feeding: corn is a hungry crop. Mix plenty of compost into the soil and feed with High N fertilizer while plants are growing.
  • Harvesting: leave cobs on the plant until the husks are dry and papery, usually 100–110 days after sowing. Peel back the husks and hang the cobs to dry fully.

Summer Care: Watering, Feeding and Shade

  • Watering: in May and June, pots may need watering daily, ideally in the early morning. Beds need deep watering 2–3 times a week.
  • Mulch: a 3–5 cm layer of coco husk chips or dry leaves keeps roots cool and reduces watering.
  • Shade: coleus and Chinese lantern benefit from afternoon shade or 30–50% shade net in peak summer.
  • Feeding: mix compost or vermicompost into the soil at planting, then feed every 15–20 days. Use a balanced feed for foliage plants and Rose 'n Flowers for salvia and peppers.
  • Monsoon: make sure pots drain freely and beds do not waterlog during heavy rains.

For more on summer gardening, see our guide to growing summer flowers in Pakistan.

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Best Practices and Common Mistakes

Best practices

  • Wait for warm weather before sowing: mid-February onward in the plains.
  • Surface sow coleus and kochia; they need light to germinate.
  • Pinch coleus and remove its flower spikes to keep the leaves at their best.
  • Plant rainbow corn in blocks for well-filled cobs.
  • Mulch beds and pots to protect roots in the summer heat.

Common mistakes

  • Sowing in cold weather: seeds rot or sit for weeks without germinating.
  • Coleus in full afternoon sun: leaves scorch and lose their colour.
  • Letting kochia drop seed: it can spread far beyond where you want it.
  • Single row of corn: cobs come out patchy with missing kernels.
  • Overwatering in pots: even heat lovers suffer root rot in soggy soil.

FAQs

Can I sow these seeds now, in November?

In the plains, it is too cold for most of them; seeds germinate poorly and seedlings struggle through winter. Store the seed in a cool, dry place and sow from mid-February. Coleus can be started indoors earlier on a warm, bright windowsill.

Does coleus grow indoors?

Yes. Coleus makes a colourful houseplant near a bright window with some direct morning sun. Pinch it regularly to keep it compact.

Are ornamental peppers safe to eat?

They are edible, but most are extremely hot and grown mainly for decoration. Treat them with care and keep them away from small children.

Why does my kochia not turn red?

The colour change is triggered by cooler autumn nights. In hot areas, the change may be slower and less intense. Plants in full sun and lean soil colour best.

Can I eat rainbow corn?

Rainbow corn is a flint-type ornamental corn. It is not sweet like sweet corn, but the dried kernels can be ground into flour or popped in some cases. It is mainly grown for decoration.

Conclusion

Foliage and ornamental plants keep your garden interesting long after winter flowers fade. Sow them once the weather warms, give coleus and Chinese lantern some afternoon shade, let kochia and salvia enjoy the sun, and plant rainbow corn in a block. With regular watering, mulch and light feeding, they will give you colour from spring right through to autumn.

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