Caladium

Long loved for its leaves, caladium is a warm-weather annual in most areas (it comes back after winter in frost-free climates) that shines in shade gardens. The arrow- or shield-shaped foliage bears festive shades of red, pink, or white. These showy leaves add a hefty dose of drama to beds, borders, and container gardens. Recently, sun-loving caladiums that thrive in the hot sun have become available for our gardens. These newer varieties are perfect for mass plantings or as accent plants with perennials or other annuals. 
Design Tip: Caladium’s bold texture contrasts nicely with fine-leafed plants. Try planting it with ornamental grasses for a knockout combination. 

Polka Dot Plant

Polka dot plant (Hypoestes) is a fabulous pick for shaded gardens and also doubles as a houseplant. Its green leaves are heavily splashed and splattered with red, pink, or white variegation. A small annual, polka dot plant is best sited in the front of the border or used in container gardens. If you have a large space in the shade, it’s gorgeous and extra colorful when planted en masse.
Design Tip: Because polka dot plant has a small, mounding habit, it’s dramatic when used as an edging plant. Grow it lining a walkway to help draw your eye down the path. 

Dusty Miller

Dusty miller (Senecio) may be an old-school annual, but it’s one that’s never going out of style. It’s fantastically easy to care for, thriving even in the hottest, sunniest spots. The fuzzy silver foliage is a great garden neutral that looks fantastic paired with any other kinds of plants, too! A couple of varieties are available with different textures. Pair them together for a unique look.
Design Tip: Its silvery leaves practically glow at dusk and in the moonlight, making dusty miller an elegant way to call attention to beds, borders, and containers after the sun goes down.

Purple Fountain Grass

Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) brings together a rich, trendy color and a fabulous texture so it’s delightfully versatile. A top pick for hot spots that bake under the sun, add purple fountain grass to give your container gardens a delightful flourish. Or plant it in garden beds and borders and enjoy how low maintenance this ornamental grass is throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
Design Tip: The color of purple fountain grass leaf blades pairs perfectly with anything. It offers amazing contrast when planted with silver plants like dusty miller or lamb’s ear; it’s a fun complement to red like coleus or some celosias; and it’s beautifully serene with blues and purples like salvia or scaevola.

Coleus

You can’t go wrong with coleus (Plectranthus), no matter what your gardening space or style is. There are coleus varieties that thrive in sun and there are varieties that do better in shade. You can find types with bronze, red, purple, pink, gold, orange, or chartreuse foliage. And coleus doesn’t mind summer heat or humidity (though it does prefer regular watering). If you have a bright window, you can even enjoy coleus as a beautiful houseplant.
Design Tip: If you have a big space to fill, plant it with a few different varieties of coleus in a fun, geometric pattern. Your neighbors will be jealous!

Annual Hibiscus

While hardy perennial hibiscus and tropical hibiscus get most of the attention for their huge flowers, annual hibiscus (H. acetosella) is a standout for its fabulous purple foliage. You may not notice its reddish-pink flowers, and that’s okay to let its leaves to the heavy lifting in your plant designs. Most varieties of this plant grow tall, so they’re great for the back of the border and in large containers. Dwarf varieties (such as ‘Little Zin’, shown here) tend to stay much more neat and compact -- and can be grown in the front of the border.
Design Tip: Don’t be afraid to pinch annual hibiscus to keep it full if you want a lush but tidy look. It responds well to regular pruning. Because it’s a warm-weather perennial, you can also bring it in to enjoy through the winter if you have a bright spot for it. 

Lime Sizzler Firebush

Lime Sizzler firebush, a newer variety has been a standout in our Trial Gardens and we’re excited to offer it! There’s a lot to be said for this fabulous plant: It’s a selection of a Florida-native species (Hamelia patens), the variegated foliage is bold and eye-catching, it loves summer heat and humidity, and its small flowers are almost irresistible to butterflies and hummingbirds. If pollinated, firebush flowers produce purple fruits that attract songbirds.
Design Tip: Lime Sizzler firebush pairs perfectly with other tropical plants, including golden-yellow allamanda and esperanza, which accent its foliage. Or contrast it with blue or purple flowers such as angelonia and plumbago.

Fancy-Leaf Geraniums

We often associate flowers with geraniums (Pelargonium), but fancy-leaf types offer attractive foliage, too. There are several varieties commonly available; one of our favorites is Ice Queen (also known as Mint Julep). Its silvery-green foliage is smartly edged in crisp white. It’s as elegant in container gardens as it is garden beds and borders. Other varieties to watch for include award-winning Brocade Fire and Brocade Cherry Night, as well as Vancouver Centennial.
Design Tip: Fancy-leaf geraniums are a fabulous way to give window boxes a fresh look, especially when grown with contrasting plants to play up their fun foliage. 

Sweet Potato Vine

Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea) has long been used as a dramatic trailing plant in container gardens and hanging baskets. Most commonly available in varieties that have chartreuse or rich purple foliage, newer selections offer other tones, including bronzy-orange. There are also different leaf shapes available, from heart to hand shaped, making it easy to get exactly the look you want. Sweet potato vine thrives in sun or shade.
Design Tip: Old-school varieties grew long, trailing stems. Newer varieties stay bushy and compact, so check the plant’s care tag to know how big it will get. They’re also fabulous groundcovers if you want to fill a lot of space with big, bold summer color.

Canna

Cannas are especially valuable in gardens and containers because they grow tall and upright, adding vertical presence where they’re planted. Tropicanna canna is a stunning foliage plant that shows off bronzy leaves tiger-striped with burgundy, gold, and green; Pretoria offers green leaves striped in gold.  They do best in hot sun and moist, well-drained soil, but are delightfully easy to grow once established.
Design Tip: The flowers attract hummingbirds, so be sure to include cannas in your hummingbird- or butterfly garden.

Flowering Kale

A hero of fall gardens, flowering kale (Brassica oleracea) offers colorful and textural foliage and excellent cold tolerance; it hangs on, even after light freezes! This makes it perfect for giving your landscape a last hurrah in fall and winter (depending on your climate). Different varieties are available that are shaded with red, purple, pink, or white. 
Design Tip: While flowering kale is related to edible varieties, it’s bred for its good look, not its taste. We recommend growing it only for its visual appeal.