Heat-Tolerant Colorful Shrubs

Japanese Barberry

• Berberis thunbergii, commonly called Japanese barberry, has varieties that grow from 18 inches to 6 feet in height. The plants come in green, red, yellow and variegated leaf forms. Growth forms can be upright rounded or spreading mound. Colored varieties prefer full sun to retain the brightest hues. The atropurpurea natural variety, which can grow to 6 feet, includes several cultivars: Crimson Pygmy, or Nana, which grows to 2 feet with a 3-foot mounding spread, which is the most common red variety; and Rose Glow, which can grow to 5 feet and has variegated leaves splotched with maroon and pink. Bonanza Gold reaches 18 inches in height with a 3-foot spread and has bright golden-yellow foliage.

Croton

• Crotons are a tropical plant widely used in Florida landscaping. Their various leaf types and glossy, colorful foliage bring bright splashes of color to a garden. Crotons are cold-sensitive and grown as houseplants in colder climates. Their tolerance of shade makes them a good choice for colorful indoor plants. There are dozens of cultivars of croton, each with distinctive leaf colorations. Irene Kingsley has purple leaves splashed with bright red and orange. Its few green leaves have yellow veining. Red Thai has distorted, curled round leaves with pink leaves splashed with purple. Varieties such as Curly Boy and Dreadlocks have multicolored leaves that grow in a spiraling habit.

Purple Loropetalum

• Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum's reddish-purple foliage is striking all on its own, but when covered with masses of fuschia-pink flowers, it is stunning. Lorapetalum is a drought-resistant, fast-growing plant that can reach 15 feet in height, but low-growing forms can be used as groundcovers. Cultivars include Burgundy, whose leaves turn from reddish-purple to purplish-green as it matures, with hot-pink flowers; Blush, a compact form of Burgundy; Zhuzhou Fuchsia, a tall-growing variety whose blackish-maroon leaves retain their color throughout the summer; and Shang-lo Purple Pixie, a compact variety with deep purple leaves and hot-pink blooms that reaches 1 to 2 feet in height with a wide, 4- to 5-foot spread.

"Gold Dust" Acuba

• Acuba japonica Gold Dust is a variety with green leaves liberally splotched with golden-yellow color. This dense-growing, evergreen plant prefers partial shade and well-drained, humusy soil. It reaches a height of 6 to 10 feet and a width of 4 to 6 feet.