Sun-Loving Foliage Plants

Silver

• Silver-leaved plants mixed with bright perennials or annuals help knit plant combinations together. Silver looks beautiful with pastel flowers, blending the planting into a whole, or can act as a contrast with dark flowers and foliage. Shrubs such as Brachyglottis (also known as Senecio), lavender and santolina offer evergreen foliage; annuals such as dusty miller, silver Helichrysum and Dichondra “Silver Falls” work well in pots; and lambs’ ears and Artemisias are workhorse silver foliage plants for hot, dry spots.

Gold

• Gold- or yellow-leaved plants make hot colors like red and orange pop and are commonly used to give a tropical look to plant combinations. Annuals such as yellow Helichrysum, golden sweet potato vine or pothos work well in pots for a sunny spot. Grow golden hops vine for its bright yellow, crinkled leaves or golden variegated Eleagnus “Gilt Edge” for its evergreen, yellow-edged leaves that sparkle in the winter sun.

Purple

• Dark foliage highlights light-colored flowers or contrasts with yellow to create drama in the garden or containers. The nearly black sweet potato vine is a commonly used annual for containers, making the other colors stand out. Purple basil and lettuces such as Merlot and Lollo Rosso offer deep purple foliage and are edible, as well. In a moist spot, the dramatic Colocasia “Black Magic” produces large, arrowhead-shaped, near-black leaves.

Variegated

• For a tropical look, nothing beats the red, gold, green, orange and pink combinations available on Canna lily leaves. C. “Pretoria” offers gold, green and lime variegation, and C. “Tropicana” mixes red, pink, orange and purple. Euphorbia “Efanthia” and “Blackbird” have dark purple, red and green leaves. Coleus, traditionally used as a foliage plant for shade, now comes in a rainbow of colors and leaf patterns for sunny sites.