Are There Plant Leaves That Are Not Green?

Breakdown of Chlorophyll

• Even though some plants have leaves that don't appear green, they still have chlorophyll, the pigment molecule that makes most leaves appear green to the human eye. Chlorophyll absorbs almost all of the energy from the red, orange, violet and blue light in the light spectrum while reflecting green. The leaves that appear purple or red to the human eye have high levels of anthocyanin, another pigment molecule. They appear red or purple because they absorb the blue and green light while reflecting purple and red. Yellow and orange leaves typically have higher levels of carotinoids, which also absorb blue and green light and reflect yellow and orange. Even when a plant has higher concentrations of anthocyanin or cartinoid pigments, they still have chlorophyll, a necessity of photosynthesis.

Purple Leaves

• Several ornamental plants have purple or purplish-red leaves. The color of their leaves is often their crowning glory; it makes them stand out in a landscape among the greens of other plants. Most cultivars of smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria), which generally grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, have a deep reddish-purple hue to their leaves. Many species and cultivars of the largely native coral bells (Heuchera spp.) also have purple leaves. Coral bells typically grow in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9. "Forest Pansy" redbud (Cercis canadensis "Forest Pansy") grows in USDA zones 5 through 9 and is a favored cultivar of the native eastern redbud due to its deeply colored purple, heart-shaped leaves.

Yellow Leaves

• Yellow is another color of leaf commonly seen in nurseries, garden centers and gracefully tucked away in landscapes. "Dart's Gold" ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius "Dart's Gold"), for example, grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 8 and has leaves that start out golden, progress to chartreuse and then end with bold yellow in autumn. Several Hinoki cypresses, such as Confucius Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa "Confucius"), which grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8, also have a standout golden color.

Blue Foliage

• Aside from purple and yellow, other colors or shades exist, as well. Blue is somewhat common among various types of conifers. The native Colorado spruce (Picea pungens), which grows in USDA zones 4 through 7, is also commonly referred to as blue spruce, and certain varieties are known for their deeper-blue foliage. Several junipers, including "Wiltoni" (Juniperus horizontalis "Wiltoni"), "Blue Point" (Juniperus chinensis "Blue Point") and "Icee Blue" (Juniperus horizontalis "Icee Blue"), which grow in USDA zones 4 through 9, are all known for their blue, gray-blue or blue-green foliage.