Is coleus your flower?

Were you born on October 2nd? Or August 18th or October 11th? If so, coleus is your birthday flower! If you know someone who was born on those days, how about getting them a coleus plant for their birthday! They are really beautiful at this time of year and make a gorgeous addition to a garden. 

Coleus is a plant rather than a flower in the typical sense. But it does flower in summer, small spike shaped flowers. However, It's mostly used and best known for it's colorful leaves in autumn. You can see a beautiful, large scale display of coleus from summer to autumn in Musashi Kyuryo National Government Park in Namegawa town, Saitama Prefecture. 

The scientific name of the genus, "Coleus," is derived from the Greek word "koleos" (pod), and is said to be named after the inflorescence, which resembles the sheath of a sword. The plant is named after the genus, but it is also sometimes called "painted nettle" in English.