Top Foliage Plants

Caladiums, or Angle Wings, are truly a unique looking plant. They've been in and out of favor and for awhile, were relegated to the living room as fussy Victoria parlor plants. Caladiums are fantastic houseplants, but they are equally delightful outdoors. Shade lovers, Caladiums are actually tropical plants and are only hardy to about USDA Zone 9. They can be expensive to grow as annuals, but the tubers can easily be stored for the winter and replanted in early spring.

For a real touch of the tropics, you can't beat Cannas. These flashy plants have flowers in brilliant shades of red, yellow and orange, but even without their blooms, the tall, upright Canna leaves put on a commanding show. They love water and heat. If you think keeping them watered might become tedious, consider planting them in containers and putting them in a water garden. Now you're talking tropics.

It's hard to remember a time when coleus plants were not a fixture in every garden. Shade coleus were a popular Victorian bedding plant, but it wasn't until they developed a sun loving coleus that they really captured the hearts of gardeners. Sun coleus come in a rainbow of colors - sometimes all on one plant. Bright cheerful plants with names like 'Big Enchilada', 'Brilliancy' and 'Copper Sun' hint at what to expect on the coleus aisle. For a sampling of all the coleus colors available, take a look at the Cultivars tab at Coleus Finder.

The original Coral Bells were a charming plant with airy pink bell shaped flowers that made them favorite plants of hummingbirds. But plant breeders have embraced Heucheras and figured out how to give them purple, bronze and patterned leaves. Most do best in partial shade, but will grow well in sun if they have sufficient moisture. They form tidy clumps and are perfect for edging borders, planting under tall, gangly plants and are great for containers.

If only deer and slugs didn't like Hosta plants, they would be perfect. Hostas come in shades of green, gold and blue as well as a variety of variegated leaves. They prefer partial shade, where the brighter whites and gold reflect the subtle light and enliven the plants around them.There are several Hosta varieties that can be grown in full sun, expanding their value in the garden. But avoid giving the blue Hosta varieties too much sun exposure. Blue Hosta varieties have a waxy coating that gives them their coloring and makes them more susceptible to sun damage.. However it also makes them less palatable to slugs.

These 5 plants are stars of the garden, to be sure. But there are many more plants with stunning foliage that deserve a place in your garden, too. Artemisia and Lamb's Ear have been pulling their weight for decades. More recently, gold, burgundy and bronze Sweet Potato Vines have become indispensable for containers.

Rex begonias are prized for their intricate patterns. They are popular as indoor plants, but have been making their way into containers and garden beds. Another Victorian charmer that is seeing a renewed interest is the shimmering Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus, shown here. There are increasing numbers of plants with purple foliage and black foliage, many in eye catching lacy, cut-outs.

You probably don't want a garden focused exclusively on leaves and too much colorful foliage can look chaotic, but a few plants that look good in or out of bloom are worth looking out for.