Vibrant foliage plants
Plants with colorful leaves are a testament to the artist's palette that nature provides, creating masterpieces that last beyond the fleeting bloom of flowers. Unlike flowers, which constantly die back and require periodic replanting, these evergreen gems demand minimal maintenance and upkeep while providing a dazzling show throughout the seasons.
If you're looking to add more drama and year-round beauty to your garden or outdoor space, here are 15 plants with colorful leaves that won't fade like flowers.
1. Caladium
Caladiums are beautiful plants with colorful, heart-shaped leaves in shades of green, red, white, and pink. They thrive in indirect light or moderate shade and prefer rich, well-drained soil that retains moisture and does not become soggy.
2. Cannas
Cannas are stunning plants with colorful, paddle-shaped leaves and attractive yellow, orange, red, and pink flowers. They range from 1.5 to 10 feet tall, depending on the variety, and have large, oval, or lance-shaped leaves that can be green, bronze, black, variegated, or striped.
3. Coleus
Coleus has square stems and opposite leaves that can be oval, lanceolate, or lobed. The main attraction of coleus is the leaves, which come in various colors such as green, yellow, pink, red, purple, and black, often with variegated veins or edges.
4. Hostas
Hostas are easy to grow and care for, as long as they have adequate light, water, and fertilizer. They prefer partial shade to full shade, as too much sun can fade their color or burn the leaves.
5. Heuchera
Heuchera, also known as coral beads, has rounded, lobed, hairy leaves that are green, purple, red, bronze, silver, or variegated. It prefers partial shade and well-drained, organic soil.
6. Smoke tree
The leaves form neat ridges at the base of the plant and are the smoke tree's main attraction. It produces small, five-petalled flowers on tall stems that emerge from the foliage in late spring or early summer.
7. Ninepark
In the fall, the leaves of the nine-leaf band change color, turning yellow, orange, and red. Its flowers are usually white, pink, or red, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. However, the most distinctive feature of Ninebark is the fine hair-like filaments on the spent flower stalks, which give the plant a smoky appearance.
8. Tiger eyes sumac
Tiger eye sumac prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained, sandy, or loamy soil. It needs regular watering, especially in hot and dry seasons, but not too much water, which can cause root rot.
9. Sweet potato vine
Sweet potato vine is a fast-growing annual and classic "spiller" plant commonly used for container gardening. It has heart-shaped leaves that can be green, purple, or chartreuse depending on the variety.
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