25 Best Outdoor Foliage Plants to Grow

By Erin Marissa Russell

Are you looking for outdoor plants with the prettiest , most unique foliage ? Get ready to be barrack by this tilt of the best out-of-door foliage plants to acquire . We ’ve ransack through all the options to acquaint you with the plants that will deck your garden with their hit leafage . With these plant , bloom take a back seat to the eye - catching foliage . You wo n’t miss the heyday with the stunning foliage of these plants to admire . ( Some do have blooms , but they just are n’t the main attractiveness . ) We ’ve provided the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones for each plant , but keep in thinker that some perennial can be produce in other zones if treat as annuals .

Banana Plant(Musa)

Zones:6 through 11

Banana plants have supersized leaves . depend on the variety you choose , the foliage may be green , reddened and green , or purplish red . These plant also go by the names banana tree and plantain tree tree . Sizes vary depend on the change you ’re growing , but range from two to 30 foot tall , with a one - ft to 15 - base cattle farm . plant life in full sun , at least six hour of unmediated sunshine each day . Banana plant prefer acidic soil that ’s loamy and drains well . There are spring flowers in white , purple , and orange that turn into fruits . The duncical trunk and immense paddle - shaped leaves will make this one of the most aid - arrest plants in your garden . Find out more with our articleHow to Grow Your Own Banana Plant or Banana Tree .

Butterbur(Petasites japonicus)

Zones:5 through 9

This plant also goes by the name Galax urceolata . The enormous green farewell are kidney - shaped and can develop to measure from 25 to 30 in wide . The clean flowers tinge with purple are not that impressive , but they are some of the first flower of spring , which intend they ’ll emerge at a time when not much else in the garden is blossom . blossom aside , you ’ll jazz the tone of the mounding foliage , which adds a jungle sense to the garden . Butterbur does need muckle of sunniness , but will gain from some shade in the hottest part of the mean solar day , so plant in partial shade . Plant in a spot with moist , full-bodied soil .

Caladium

Zones:8 through 12

caladium are sometimes called Angel Wings , and the leave resemble miniature elephant capitulum . There are so many varieties of caladium to take from , with dissimilar colors , color combination , and patterns on the folio . You ’re sure to be able to find a variety show that gibe perfectly into your garden . You ’ll get hold caladiums in unripened , pink , red , and snowy , compound colors in mottled or striped patterns . depend on the assortment you choose to grow , expect a caladium ’s mature sizing to be 15 to 35 in tall . The leaves themselves can evaluate 18 in across . Plant caladiums in full to partial shade , in a pip with dampish territory . Find out more with our articleHow to farm Caladiums .

Canna

Zones:7 through 10

It ’s true that canna lilies have spectacular efflorescence , but the foliage is also a stopper . The plant life grow quite marvellous , up to six or even eight feet high , and the leaves are supersized , too . you’re able to find cannas with foliage in jungle leafy vegetable , but there are more unusual types as well . For exemplar , the variety “ Red King Humbert ” has deep burgundy leaves with scarlet flowers . “ Louis Cotton ” has deep green leafage edged with red . “ Cleopatra ” has lifelike light-green leaf strip with purple . “ Red Stripe ” has green foliage striped with red , orange , and yellow . Depending on the variety , flush come in hue of pick , orangish , pink , red , and yellow . Plant in moist , rich ground that tender good deal of drainage , in a blot where cannas will get full sun ( at least six time of day of direct sunshine each day ) . chance out more with our articleHow to Grow Canna Lily Flowers .

Coleus(Coleus scutellarioides)

Zone:11

Traditionally , coleus has been a spook plant , but unexampled varieties have been developed that grow happily in the Sunday . You ’ll find salmagundi that like shape on the spectrum from full sun to full specter . Coleus has change boast foliage in a range of different hues . Coleus comes in orangish , pinkish , purple , crimson , and sensationalistic , with some varieties boast combinations of these coloring material . Coleus are hump for being well-to-do to deal for , just demand a trivial extra moisture if the weather stupefy dry . Plant in a spot where flame nettle can produce in consistently moist dirt . obtain out more with our articleHow to Grow Coleus .

Coral Bells(Heuchera)

Zones:3 through 9

Coral bells have some of the prettiest , most graphic leafage you’re able to determine . Different varieties come up in colors like bronze , green , orange , violet , red , and atomic number 47 . Some types fuse these colours , with stripes , streaks , recognise , speckled , mottled , veined , or edged foliage . As a bonus , there are spindle of ashen efflorescence in summer . Coral bells can reach up to three feet improbable . If you survive in a cool region , you may grow coral bells in full sun , but in lovesome areas they take partial shade . Coral bells arise well in loamy grease with a pH stratum from 6.0 to 7.0 that ’s moist and rich in constitutive stuff . recover out more with our articleHow to originate Coral Bells ( Alumroot , Heuchera ) .

Croton(Codiaeum)

Zones:9 through 11

Croton plants are some of the most striking you may tally to your garden , thanks to their brilliantly colored leaf . The color let in green and yellow as well as fiery shade like blaze orange or intense red . Some varieties compound up to six dissimilar colors on their elaborately pattern leaves . Croton rise up to four feet magniloquent and is happiest in full sun to partial refinement , planted in moist dirt that provide plentitude of drainage . Find out more with our articleHow to Grow Croton Plants ( genus Codiaeum variegatum ) .

Dusty Miller(Jacobaea maritima)

Dusty moth miller is a silver works with foliage so illume it ’s much white . The leafage also have an interesting shape reasonably similar to oak leaves , but longer and with more lobes . The foliage is covered with bantam hairsbreadth that give the plant a fuzzy or wooly flavor . Dusty miller is fuck for being a hearty , low maintenance industrial plant just as much as it ’s known for its unusual foliation . Starting in its second summertime , this plant will also produce yellow flowers . Grow dusty Glenn Miller in full Sunday ( at least six hr of direct sunlight each day ) . It is n’t picky about soil character and will even grow in poor grime . find out out more with our articleHow to Grow Dusty Miller .

Elephant Ears(Colocasia esculenta)

When you think of arresting foliation , elephant ears are probably one of the first plants that get along to take care . There are so many different miscellany to choose from , some with lustrous green leaves and others silver or almost pitch-dark . They can develop to reach three to six feet tall , with the same feast . These plants are sometimes called taro or coco yam . Plant in full Sunday to part shade , with moist soil that has an acidic pH Libra ( from 5.5 to 7.0 ) . Elephant ears rarely flower , but when they do , they produce yellow white prime between the conclusion of outpouring and the commencement of fall . Find out more with our articleHow to uprise Elephant Ear Plants and Care for Them .

Fountain Grass(Pennisetum setaceum)

Zones:8 through 11

There are a few different variety of natural spring grass to choose from , but the brightest foliage comes from the “ Fireworks ” variety . The narrow blades of grass are a vibrant magenta . All types of fountain grass bring about the fuzzy “ flowers ” that calculate like bottle brushes and add delicate pursuit to the plant while they bloom between midsummer and autumn . Plant in a berth that gets full Dominicus and has loamy or arenaceous soil that gets plenty of drainage . The grunge can be acidulous , alkaline , or indifferent . Find out more with our articleHow to Grow Fountain Grass .

Giant Rhubarb(Gunnera manicata)

Zones:6 through 10

Giant rhubarb also goes by the name calling Chilean rhubarb or prickly rhubarb . This is a seriously tremendous plant with round to kidney - determine gullible leaves that have a hirsute texture and can reach from four to five feet across . The plant as a whole can grow to six to 10 fundament tall , with a spread of eight to 14 feet . To make things even more interesting , those giant immature leaves emerge from pink stem . This is a plant that will thrive in areas with ill drain soil — giant rhubarb is a thirsty plant life that needs all the moisture it can get . It does well in clay or loamy stain that ’s acidic , alkaline , or neutral . Plant in full sun or partial sun .

Hosta

Zones:2 through 10

Hosta love tint and are one of a few plants with striking foliage that will really boom in partial or full tone . Their leaves come in nicety of fleeceable from natural spring unripe to blue - green , with some variegate or patterned varieties useable , too . Depending on the potpourri you take to farm , a hosta ’s fledged size can run from four inches tall to four feet magniloquent . In summertime , genus Funka will also grow blooms in pinkish , lavender , or snowy . Plant in stain that offer plentitude of drainage . Find out more with our articleHow to arise , Plant , and Care for Hostas .

Japanese Painted Fern(Athyrium niponicum var. pictum)

Zones:4 through 8

Japanese paint fern is another shade - loving works . The ferny fronds can reach about two metrical foot long . Each leaf has a silvery center . This plant ’s foliation is always commute , make it a pleasure to grow and watch . The silver is at its stature in springtime , and by the middle of the summertime the silver will give way to green with maroon midribs . Check into the unlike varieties available so you see all the colouration options . Nipponese paint fern is easygoing to care for . flora in full or fond shade . This plant ca n’t stand full sun , though it does need a bit of sunshine to assert its pretty colors . For best outcome , grow in land that ’s rich in organic cloth and provides plenty of drainage .

Joseph’s Coat(Amaranthus tricolor)

Zones:2 through 11

Who need flowers with foliage this bright ? The leafage of Amaranthus tricolour can be green , empurpled , cop , pink , red , lily-livered , or a combination . There are modest flowers in greenish and red , but they do n’t hold a candela to the vivid display of the leave . This flora grows best in full sun , but in hot area will gain from the respite of some shade during the afternoon . get hold Joseph ’s pelage a spot in the garden with moderately fertile , moist grunge that is rich in constitutional material and drains well . This is a very leisurely plant to care for , put up up to drouth and commonly being barren of disease . The only trouble you ’re probable to run into isinfestation by aphids .

Ninebark(Physocarpus)

Zones:3 through 7

Ninebark is prise for its stock deep Burgundy wine foliage , although some diversity offer colors like yellow - green , yellow , purple , or carmine . The midsummer bunch of pinkish and bloodless flowers are quite pretty , but the foliage provide yr - pear-shaped ocular interestingness . This is a low - maintenance plant life that can live on heat , drouth , and winter coldness , and it ’s also rare that a ninebark plant will have trouble with pests or diseases . Ninebark industrial plant can reach up to eight substructure tall . Grow in a spot that gets full sun ( at least six hours of direct sunlight each sidereal day ) . Ninebark is n’t particular about soil type . discover out more with our articleHow to farm Ninebark ( Physocarpus opulifolius ) .

Papyrus(Cyperus papyrus)

Zones:7 through 11 , reckon on variety

Papyrus has a very unequaled look , with tall , thick stems topped with a cascade of bushy , minute blade - work leaves . The dwarf variety can reach a height of three feet tall , while other paper plant plants can get up to 12 pes tall . This is another plant that in reality flourish in filth that has pitiful drain , so look at it for the wet spots in your garden that other plants dislike . Papyrus can even grow in standing H2O up to six inches deep . Papyrus industrial plant will do well in full sunlight to partial shade . This easygoing plant is practically nontaxable from worry about pestilence or disease .

Persian Shield(Strobilanthes auriculatus var. dyeriana)

Iranian carapace has some of the truest regal color you ’ll incur on leafage . The bountiful ridged leaf commingle that purpleness with recondite green for interesting patterns . This industrial plant can get up to two feet tall . It does best in full or fond sun and moist soil rich in organic material that ’s acidulous or impersonal . For more entropy , see our articleHow to Grow Purple Persian Shield ( Strobilanthes dyeriana ) .

Rush(Juncus)

Talk about unique foliage ! The rushing plant features smoke - like leaf that wriggle and coil around on themselves for a really unusual silhouette and shape . You ’ll sometimes see this plant call corkscrew rush in addition to just “ rush . ” industrial plant in sun to fond shade , in a wet spot in your garden . This is another plant that likes those tops - moist areas that other plants turn their nose up at .

Siberian Bugloss(Brunnera macrophylla)

Look for variegated Siberian bugloss for pale , silvern - white leaf vein and edged in green . In springtime , Siberian bitterweed flush , with small blueish heyday that resemble leave - me - nots . Depending on the variety you select to get , the leaves can get up to the size of it of dinner plate . Siberian bugloss can grow up to two feet tall with a spread of up to three foot . works in a spot that gets spectre or fond sunlight , with rich , dampish soil that provide dependable drain . Do n’t plant Siberian bugloss in juiceless area .

Silver Sabre Variegated Sage(Salvia officinalis)

Zones:5 through 10

This sage variety has foliage with unripened and white patches , which in cool conditions starts to become tinged with smart pinko . Grow anywhere in the garden that gets good drainage . you may cultivate this plant as a low - get bush . Its ripe size is around half a foot marvellous with a two - foot scatter . Like other sage varieties , this one has the pebbled texture and aromatic olfactory property that will make it a star of the garden . ( Of course , you’re able to glean this miscellanea of sage and utilize it in cooking , too . )

Smoke Tree(Cotinus coggygria)

Zones:5 through 8

The imperial or bluish fleeceable leaf of the smoke Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree transforms in fall to ghost of red , orange , or yellow , just like the beautiful foliation of autumn Tree . Your smoke tree will flourish in any soil that gets good drain , even being tolerant of different pH levels and dry condition . Do find it a blot in the garden that get full sun ( at least six hours of sunshine each day ) . This tall plant can reach a superlative of between 10 and 15 feet magniloquent , with a bed covering of around 12 invertebrate foot . Make trusted to leave the industrial plant enough room to grow into its mature size of it when you set it .

Spotted Laurel(Aucuba japonica)

What makes spotted laurel special is the coloration of its leaves : yellow splatters and speckles decorate a bright green background . The leaves are evergreen and can attain up to eight inches long , while the entire industrial plant has a mature size of six to 10 feet marvelous , with a five - pes to 9 - foot bed cover . In improver to the lovely foliage , you ’ll see pocket-size purple blossom emerge at the beginning of spring . The pollinated blossoms give way to glossy red berries in the descent that can stay on the Dubyuh until next spring . Plant in calcareous , loamy , or flaxen soil that is moist but gets skillful drainage . Find this plant life a spot in the garden that get partial sun or shade .

Sweet Potato Vine(Ipomoea batatas)

fresh spud vineis a quickly growing low care plant with foresighted mouse vines that front near cascade from a hanging basketful or trailing along the ground . select between yellow green , immature , bronze , or purple varieties . Make indisputable to constitute sweet potato vine somewhere in your garden where it will get full sun ( at least six minute of sun per day ) . Consistently moist soil that extend expert drainage is best for odoriferous Irish potato vines . These vine seldom flower but can produce springtime blossoms in pink or purple .

Ti Plant(Cordyline)

Zones:9 through 12

The ti plant has some of the most vibrant foliage out there . Some of the most pop varieties include “ Hawaiian Boy ” in mysterious Bolshevik and majestic , “ Florida Red ” with loss and tactile sensation of pink , and “ Candy Cane , ” with green leaves striped in pinkish and white . These are Sunday - love plants , and if they are n’t getting the sunniness they need , their colors will lose some smartness and fade a bit . Some miscellany produce dulcet - smelling pinko , lavender , or white flowers and small berry after the efflorescence languish . Be mindful that the ti works is venomous to dogs and cat , so do n’t grow it where PET play unsupervised .

Velvety Anthurium(Anthurium magnificum)

The Brobdingnagian farewell of velvety tail-flower can measure from 10 to 14 inches long . The entire plant can reach between two and five feet high . The velvety leaf is made even pretty by the deep pallid vena that allow for contrast to the dark green of the leaves . retrieve your velvety anthurium a spot in the garden that pay back bright indirect brightness and well draining soil .

With all these options to choose from , you may have found more than just one plant to add to your aggregation . Whichever ( and however many ) you prefer , as long as you give the flora what it needs as far as Sunday and soil , you ’ll soon be admire the leafage on your new outdoor plant life .