Having spent the winter as most chlorophyll junkies do — touring the trade shows and reading all the new catalogs — I have realized that the biggest trend of the season can be summed up in one word: foliage.
Coastal Point • SUSAN LYONS:
The ‘Sedona’ Coleus is a deep, coppery orange leaf, touched with magenta on new growth.
Sure, there are some spectacular new flowers coming out this year, but this season it’s the foliage’s turn to shine. In everything from annuals and container plants, to perennials, trees and shrubs, breeders have been tinkering and tweaking, resulting in some incredible new varieties.
These are some of my favorites:
Annuals with colorful leaves have been around for a long time, but never in such abundance or exuberance. Coleus has long been popular for its multi-hued foliage and this year’s offerings are not a disappointment. “Fishnet Stockings” features deep purple veining over chartreuse leaves. The name says it all. “Sedona” is deep, coppery orange touched with magenta on the new growth. “Kong Mosaic” sports huge scalloped leaves splashed with green, burgundy and cream.
Another annual genus producing beautiful foliage is acalypha. Although better known for the flowering chenille plant, it is a hotbed of dramatic foliage as well. “Ceylon” features deep purple leaves with a hot pink, toothed edge. “Copperleaf Plant” bears leaves spectacularly variegated in shades of orange, copper, red and green. Both have an upright habit that works well in combination planters.Begonias are best known for their flowers as well, but for some species, the flowers are an afterthought. The Caribbean Dreams series of rex begonias feature large swirling leaves in dramatic combinations of iridescent silver, burgundy and green. Check out “Devil’s Paradise” or “Hurricane Bay.”
Perennials are getting in on the act, too. Some of the showiest introductions of recent years have been foliage plants. One such is heuchera “Amber Waves.” This plant is a colorful mound of evergreen, ruffled leaves that change color through the year, from pale amber through orange to nearly magenta in winter. An excellent companion is heuchera “Stormy Seas,” which maintains its deep purple coloring year round. Plant these two coral bells in partial shade for years of continuous color.
Another perennial that does well in partial shade is polemonium, or Jacob’s ladder. Two new cultivars have foliage so dramatic the blue spring flowers are merely icing on the cake. “Brise d’Anjou” has intricately arranged green and cream foliage. “Bressingham Purple” has equally intricate leaves in a beautiful dusky purple.
In sunny locations, try euphorbia “Helena.” This evergreen perennial has green and cream leaves with touch of burgundy in cool weather and chartreuse flowers in the spring.
Even some trees and shrubs are sporting bold new foliage colors and shapes. Photinia, or “red tip” as it’s commonly known, has always been popular for the bright red color of its new leaves. A new variety, “Pink Marble,” features pink, green and cream variegation instead.
Physocarpus, or ninebark, is a native American shrub that has been hybridized extensively. Their maple-like leaves are now available is assortment of colors. “Summer Wine” is a compact shrub with deeply cut, dark crimson leaves that could be a good substitute for the potentially invasive red barberries now commonly used. “Coppertina” emerges as an attractive copper in the spring before changing to a rich red in summer.
St. John’s Wort is a popular summer-blooming shrub featuring large yellow buttercup-type blooms. The variety “Tricolor” keeps all the best attributes of the original but throws in pink, green and cream variegation, too.
And don’t forget the trees. There are cultivars with dramatic foliage here as well. Consider the Eastern redbud. Two new cultivars have produced entirely different takes on this beautiful native. “Forest Pansy” features deep burgundy heart shaped leaves throughout the growing season. “Hearts of Gold” emerges a brilliant gold tinged with red in the spring before transforming to a soft yellow-green.
Of course, the crown jewels of ornamental trees are the Japanese maples. Hundreds of cultivars have been introduced, from the bold-leaf “Full Moon” maple, to the delicate lace-leaf varieties. “Tamukeyama” is cascading waterfall of finely-dissected leaves that are crimson in spring, purple in summer and scarlet in fall. “Oridono-Nishiki,” which translates from the Japanese as “the rich-colored fabric of the master,” is a tri-colored work of art. Unique pink, white and green leaves maintain their color throughout the season before transforming to red and yellow in the fall.
So who says you need flowers to have color in the garden (and this from a confessed flower junkie)? For season-long color and drama, try a few of these spectacular beauties. It’s going to be a season of fabulous foliage.