Annuals for Foliage

Flowers are what it’s about in the summer, the more color, the better. But did you know that you could add interest and depth to your garden with a little foliage contrast and color? Try it this season, here are some excellent varieties to look for.

Alternanthera:
This is one of our Proven Winner performers which comes in three different varieties, “Purple Knight”, “Burgundy Joseph’s Coat” and “Trailing Ruby Red”. “Purple Knight” is an upright variety of 18-24 inches with dark purple leaves that intensify with bright sun exposure. The latter varieties trail over the edge of your containers or over a retaining wall or rock garden edge.

Amaranthus:
Early Splendor and Tri-Color Splendens are two varieties that we carry. These plants reach 24-36 inches in height and give an awesome display of foliage color. In full sun, Tri-Color’s 2-4 inch green leaves have bright yellow and bright red accents from the center of the plant. Early Splendor gives a hot pink to deep burgundy contrast. Both are great in mass plantings or as accent plants.

Artemesia:
“Oriental Limelight” is a stunning accent plant for containers or garden. Its leaf color varies from deep greens to lime to cream. These plants grow 24-36 inches tall and often re-seed quite prolifically from season to season.

Caladium:
Also known as Elephant’s Ear, these large leafed plants are grown from tubers planted in containers or in the ground. Caladium prefers shade to part shade. They come in a wide variety of color choices with speckled reds and greens to whites and pinks. They make a great accent in the shady corner of the yard.

Coleus:
Coleus is one of the better known foliage annuals that originally complimented a shady area very nicely. There are also new varieties which are “Sun Loving”. There is an almost overwhelming choice of colors and leaf shapes of Coleus plants. Anyone will be sure to find what they are looking for.

Dichondra:
This is a wonderful container trailer or garden ground cover that branches heavily to fill in those hard to plant areas. Its sweet round leaves come in two varieties. “Silver Falls” is gray-silver foliage and “Emerald Falls” is bright, dark green.

Dusty Miller:
Silvery gray foliage makes Dusty Miller a great plant for container or garden bed. Two varieties are available, “Silver Lace” and “Silver Dust”. The former has very lacy, delicate foliage and the latter has thicker, sharply toothed foliage.

Flowering Cabbage and Kale:
Most often we think of flowering cabbage and kale as a fall plant, but fall is not the only time for these plants. Planted earlier in the season, they can add interest of foliage and color to your garden all season long. The “Nagoya Mix” Kale and the “Osaka Mix” Cabbage are striking in fall season because their pinks, purples and creams intensify with cooler weather. They can survive light frosts and last long into the fall season.

Helichrysum:
Also known as Licorice plant, this is a wonderful plant for your containers because of its great foliage texture and color choices. “White Licorice” has silvery-gray, velvety foliage and “Petite Licorice” has the same coloring but smaller leaf size. “Lemon” has light chartreuse green, velvety leaves. “Licorice Splash” has evenly variegated pale green and white leaves. All are a branching variety when at full growth may topple over and cascade. Helichrysum “Icicles” is the most unique in that it resembles a small, frosty pine tree.

Hypoestes:
Also known as “Polka Dot” plant, this annual can also be grown as a houseplant. Its shiny green leaves are dotted with a sweet pink. Regular pinching will produce a bushy plant that can brighten any shady part of your garden.

Ipomea-Sweet Potato Vine:
This is a true winner for your containers and garden edges. Heart shaped leaves cascade from long vines in three different color varieties. “Blackie” has dark purple to black leaves, “Marguerite” is a bright lime-green and “Tri-Color” features light green with pink and white accents.

Iresine:
“Purple Lady” is a full sun annual that has a cascading habit. Its dark purple stems branch heavily and are covered with dark purple to red leaves. It works great as filler between other specimen plants.

Lysimachia:
The “Goldilocks” variety has bright chartreuse, thin, round leaves which alternate down the cascading, branching stems. This variety is also known as “Creeping Jenny”, a common perennial ground cover. “Outback Sunset” has lemon-lime to green bi-colored leaves also borne on branching stems. This latter variety also has small bright yellow flowers.

Strobilanthes:
Also known as Persian Shield, this is one of the most striking foliage annuals. The dark purple and green leaves have an interesting iridescent sheen that will bring any container or garden area to life. This plant has more of a cascading habit and prefers sun to part shade for best leaf color.