Take a look at that bright green or chartreuse shrub in my front garden above. It isn’t a shrub. It was (once) a single pot of ‘Wasabi’ coleus that I bought from Plant World this spring for my large container.

A ‘Wasabi’ intent on taking over the world.

Now, ‘Wasabi’ is an amazingly tough and beautiful coleus. I’ve used it in containers numerous times, but it has never been so vigorous – never this vigorous – before. And I didn’t do anything differently, except to purchase a larger specimen in, I think, a one-gallon pot to get the jump on spring.

‘Wasabi’ this year is more than living up to its promise of that 36″ height, and sneering at predictions of a 28″ width. Ha! It showed me. As a result, the other plants in my design were completely overshadowed (literally and figuratively).

I did pinch it back to try to keep it compact, and inserted a couple of cuttings into the two smaller pots in this grouping. Each cutting developed its own monster. A beautiful monster, but a big one, nonetheless. And, in fact, in August, I harvested a huge bunch to use in a floral design presentation. Still, ‘Wasabi’ grew ever onward, upward and outward!

If you peer closely, you might just make out that ‘Gryphon’ begonia I wrote about last year. The ‘Bonfire’ Begonia boliviensis did its best, but got nudged to the side.

It just goes to show, be careful what you wish for. Every time I walk past this display, it gives me a chuckle.