PlantFiles Pictures: Coleus, Painted Nettle 'Neon Rose' (Solenostemon scutellarioides), 0 by DaleTheGardener

DaleTheGardener wrote:
Based on photos I have seen on the web, yes. Neon and Neon Rose are two names for the same plant. I am guessing, but, I think some people, somewhere along the line, just shortened the name so they could put it in bigger letters on the plant tag. I see that alot in the plant trade.

I saw a few webshots that used the label 'Neon' & 'Neon Rose', indicating that some folks think it is two names for the same plant. Since there is no central database for coleus names and the plants are changable, under different conditions, makes ID interesting. The majority of the pics that I saw labelled that coloration as 'Neon Rose' so I went with the 'majority rules' way of doing things. Doesn't mean it was right, I just felt I had to make a decision.


Another factor is that names can change when the plants go from one grower to another. At one nursery in TX, Yuccado, they remark in their catalog about the problems of tracing back the origins of plants and the names attached to them. Plant Delights in NC says the same.

Do you think I should request that DG remove the photo I submitted? I don't want to add to an already confused world. Or should I go with RD's ID as 'Neon'? Even tho I think it is more correctly Neon Rose, I probably don't have the right to rename their photo. When I submitted that photo I was just trying to get a photo of the plant in the files for 'Neon Rose' that was accurate.

It really bothers me to have an entry in plant files without a photo. Gardening is a visual art and I find those entries without pics to be useless academia. Most of the members are hands on, 'in the dirt' kind of folks who use the data for visual guidance. I suspect that most of the research done in PF is by people who are looking for plants that they are not familiar with. Having to go to another source for photos makes PF less useful for me since I already have the plant name and a general idea of its hardiness, size etc. I don't think of PF as an encylopedia of plant names, we have those online already.

It is pleasant to write about these subjects. Makes me rethink thru what decisions I have been making. And it is nice chatting with another Midwestener. I grew up in Mpls. and have lived many other places, but, I find the upper midwest has a certain way of doing things that is unique. A great place to raise your kids it what I always tell people.