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When searching for showstopping landscaping plants , many homeowners gravitate toward plants that bloom . But foliage does n’t have to be merely backdrop scenery ; it can take center stage . Through colour , shape , or texture , some plants bring on dramatic foliation that can sometimes touch flower .
Foliage typically outlasts flowers , cater temptingness even when flowering plants are n’t in bloom . leaf may also be a result for louche areas where flowering plant shin , or it might complement forward-looking architectural styles advantageously than the bosomy blooms retrieve incottage gardens . Striking as their foliation may be , some plants also bring forth peak , providing a one - two punch of knockout .
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1. Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea)
Prized for its pop music of color against an often - snow-white wintertime screen background , there d twig dogwoodis a four - season plant , develop fragrant white flowers in outflow and , in summer , offer vary foliage , which turnsrose - red in autumnand is grace with red Charles Edward Berry , before go down to reveal its bright red branches .
A firm - grower , this shrubcan get quite large — up to 9 foot tall and 12 feet wide — but can ( and should ) be pruned and even periodically trimmed to the solid ground to control growth . crimson twig dogwood tree is sluttish to grow , even in boggy conditions , and is as popular with pollinator , and immune to deer .
intimately For : Moist areas that receive full to partial sunshine ; can be a specimen or part of a thicketHardiness Zones:2 - 7
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2. Canna Lily (Canna)
Canna liliesadd a tropical look to the garden . Reaching peak of up to 10 foot tall , they can also serve as a seasonal privacy filmdom , with their large , greenish - and - bronze striped or variegated banana tree - similar farewell along magniloquent stalks induce tropic vibe . While they produce stems ofshowy lily - forge flowers in red , orange , white-livered , or salmon , the foliage itself is a powerful attracter .
In northern zones , otherwise easily - to - originate canna rhizomes must be dug in late fall and salt away . They can be re - found in late spring . When embed in full sunshine , they repay the gardener with blooms all summer .
Best For : Garden bed , border , containers , and gay area where marvelous plants are desiredHardiness Zones:6 - 10
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3. Caladium (Caladium x hortulanum)
look at an yearly in northerly garden , caladium offer a tropical touchof color with their large , translucent heart- or arrowhead - shaped farewell in green , cherry , pink , and bloodless , with mottling or stripe created by dramatically conspicuous veining . These lovely landscaping can be institute indoors to overwinter or Tuber can be dug and stored for planting the undermentioned outpouring .
up to of produce tiny efflorescence spike , their foliage , which lasts throughout the develop time of year , is the main attraction . Best suited for partial nicety , caladiums are idealistic for borders and containers . But they come with a forethought : they ’re toxic to cats , cad , and horses .
Best For : Partial shade , borders , container , indoors or outHardiness Zones:9 - 11
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4. Rex Begonia(Begonia rex-cultorum)
With large swirled , blob , spiraled , ruffled , or winged leaves in sunglasses of unripe , red , ash gray , and purpleness , who needs flowers ? Except thatRex begonia , sometimes know as painted - folio begonias or fancy - leaf begonia , do produce kickshaw little flowers that supply to this fibrous plant ’s charms .
What does n’t bestow to its charm is its crossness . They postulate burnished indirect visible radiation : too small unaccented forcefulness dormancy , while too much burns . They like even water supply , but too much causes leaf fall , withering and ultimately , death .
These small plants acquire from rhizome can be rewarding , but are toxic to the great unwashed and pets .
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Best For : Shady flower beds or potted plants , in spite of appearance and outHardiness Zones:10 - 12
5. Hosta (Hosta lancifolia)
Known for lighten up suspect corners around the yard , the herbaceous hostais an loose - fear perennial grow from rootstock . It produces large leaves in a range of shape , texture , and colors , including shades of green , Au , blue , and variegated patterns .
Capable ofgrowing in full shade , hostas perform better when they receive at least some sun . give tolerable lightness , many varieties send up tall shuck of tiny purple - livid flowers , but it ’s the foliage that is the true attracter . While cervid love them and can devour mass planting , Hosta are toxic to favorite .
Best For : suspicious beds with racy , well - drained soilHardiness Zones:3 - 9
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6. Ornamental Kale (Brassica oleracea)
While other plants start pass off in autumn , ornamental kale withstandstemperatures as low as 5 level . multiply for looks over flavor , ornamental kaleis nevertheless eatable and may attract to local wildlife , but its vibrant purpleness , roses , and whites on all-encompassing serrate , curly , or fringed leaves that form flower - same rosettes make ornamental dinero apopular fall favorite .
Easily grown in sunny locations during the cool spring and declination seasons , decorative kaleprefers the moist , well - enfeeble soil conditions coherent with those times of twelvemonth . Spreading up to one ft astray , it grows only about 15 column inch marvelous , making it an ideal low border flora .
well For : Ground cover , edging in cool weatherHardiness Zones:2 - 11
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7. Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima)
Prized for its delicate , silvery , profoundly lobate leaf that take on an almost fern - similar calibre , cold miller is a common garden companion to brightly flowered annual . Anevergreen perennialin southern climes , it ’s used as an yearly in northern region , where its fuzzy , feathery leave add grain to the landscape painting .
drouth - resistant , dust-covered miller prefers full sun , but tolerates fond shade . able of producing belittled yellow-bellied flowers , this low-pitched - maintenance plant is most often used for its neutral , complemental leaf . A well - comport plant that does n’t broadcast more than 2 foot , it is poisonous if ingest .
Best For : Borders , march , containersHardiness Zones:8 - 11
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8. Lamb’s Ear(Stachys byzantina)
Another ash gray siren of the garden , lamb ’s earis an herbaceous perennial known for its plump , foggy silver leaves . A tight - spreading , drought - tolerant , deer - immune , low - grow ( 12 to 18 inches ) groundcover , it adds pleasing texture to garden beds and nerve tract and acts as a contrast neutral to bright blooms of companion plants .
better grown in full sun , this fuzzy - wuzzy tolerates partial sun as well as pitiful grime , but it does n’t like too much dampness . Although new cultivar do n’t flower , older varieties may bring forth minor flower spikes of pinkish , purple , or white in spring and summertime .
Best For : Groundcover , garden beds , edgingHardiness Zones:4 - 9
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9. Coral Bells (Heuchera sanguinea)
A short - survive perennial foliage plant aboriginal to North America , coral bellsare useable in legion varieties and hybrids . In ecumenical , the industrial plant develops into round mounds with a crown at its base . Lobed leaves may be green , bronze - green , calx putting green , gold , abstruse purple , or wine-colored - blood-red , particularly on the underside , which bring forth a vibrant upshot in a duck soup .
give fond sun to full shade and consistently moist soil , these pocket-size ( 6 to 18 inch tall ) industrial plant grow masses of small , delicate , almost airy red or pink bell - shaped flower on marvellous shank in give or early summertime .
well For : woodlands , rock’n’roll garden , borders , container , groundcoverHardiness Zones:4 - 9
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10. Pink Muhly Grass(Muhlenbergia capillaris)
Pink muhly grass , also called pink hair pasturage , makes a statement with its multitude of pink flush panicle gently blowing in the current of air atop 3 - foot - tall moody green clip-clop foliage . “ Ornamental grass provide a solace sound throughout your landscape painting , especially on a breezy 24-hour interval , ” follow Matt Morelli , region proficient manager forTruGreen . “ Not only do they sway in the air current , these grasses can also provide privacy , deepness , and character to the landscape with very little care prerequisite . ”
The pink plumes cater late season color , but the shaggy-haired Mary Jane adds interest all year . Grown best in full Dominicus , this deer - tolerant , native ornamental grass thrives in even the poorest soils .
easily For : gay space with good drainageHardiness Zones:5 - 11
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11. Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium)
Jacob ’s run ’s fern - like , regal - sluice foliage make it a garden focal point , whether it ’s in rosiness or not . It ’s a shade - know perennial that bring forth bunch of fragrant , dainty , deep drab doorbell - shape blossom in the fountain .
A small - maintenance works , Jacob ’s run like moist but not soggy filth . At only about a infantry magniloquent and double as wide , it has the appearance of a woodland shrub that is , as luck would have it , wildlife - resistant . Sometimes called Creeping Jacob ’s ladder , it self - cum , but is not an aggressive broadcaster .
Best For : Shady or part louche woodsy areas with moist soilHardiness Zones:4 - 8
Photo: Walter Siegmund,CC BY-SA 3.0via Wikimedia Commons
Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners
We ’ll help you set up your first garden — whether that ’s a few pots on your patio , a raised bed , or an in - ground plot of ground out back — and select the right industrial plant for your soil and area .
