This Shade-Loving Plant Can Grow And Thrive Indoors Without Any Soil

Growing plants indoors shouldn't be terribly tricky, but it can be, especially if you aren't sure which leafy or flowering options are best-suited to add greenery into your home. And it can be messy; one spilled bag of potting soil on your floors will leave you plenty frustrated. If you're searching for a low-maintenance plant that's eye-catching and quick to thrive indoors without making a mess, coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides) just might be the answer. Coleus can be grown indoors, and it doesn't even require soil to do so — this boldly-colorful plant can grow in soil or thrive just as well in water alone. In fact, coleus plants take root in water so well that they can grow from cuttings to full size without ever touching soil.

A member of the Lamiaceae family of flowering plants, coleus is a relative of mint. But it's more colorful and attention-grabbing than your average herb. This plant has leaves that can appear green, yellow, orange, pink, red, and even maroon. Even more importantly, though, coleus is easy to grow and maintain as long as you provide the right amount of sunlight and a consistent level of humidity. As a shade-loving plant, coleus doesn't need to sit right in front of a window. In fact, in the face of direct sunlight, this leafy option can wilt; it thrives in part- to full-shade and temperatures between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you're not good with plants but want greenery indoors, good news: Coleus is easy to get up and running from seeds or cuttings. However, if you're hoping to skip the soil altogether, you'll want to grow your coleus plant from trimming rather than seeds. You can do this by trimming a healthy coleus plant, keeping the stems of your trimmings to about 3 inches in length. Remove any lower leaves present (you don't want any leaves to sit underwater), and pop your trimmings into a vase filled with water. Once roots form, you can move your coleus plant into the garden or a pot with soil (make sure that soil is moist and frequently watered!). Or, you can keep them growing in water and leverage hydroponics to grow your coleus into a full-sized plant of anywhere from 1 to 3 feet tall, leaving the soil behind and sticking with water.

Once your propagated coleus plant is thriving indoors, it's likely to last for several seasons. Coleus doesn't handle cold weather or frost-inducing temperatures well, so your odds of keeping this leafy plant living its best life are better if you keep it indoors, particularly when fall and winter roll around.