Fabulous Foliage

You can never go wrong when you choose plants for their foliage. Blooms will come and go, but for the most part, good foliage plants look great from spring to frost (and sometimes beyond).

Foliage plants add instant interest and color to your garden. Not sure where to start? No problem. Try a few of our top 10 picks for foliage—and success is guaranteed!

Hosta

(Hosta, Zones 3 to 9)

If you're interested in foliage plants, then you know hostas are a staple in every backyard. They bloom from late spring to mid-fall and the foliage options are endless. Grow in full sun to shade. For a variegated variety with creamy-gold centers and green borders, look for the Gypsy Rose cultivar.

Geranium

(Pelargonium x hortorum, grown as an annual)

Sure, this plant is a classic bloomer in backyards across North America, but now gardeners are selecting it for its foliage as well. It grows up to 20 inches tall and wide and does best in full sun. Look for fancy-leaved varieties for the best foliage options, like the Ben Franklin cultivar with white leaf tips.

Sweet Potato Vine

(Ipomoea batatas, annual)

A container favorite, sweet potato vine comes in a variety of colors, including bronze, lime, purple and tricolor. This trailing plant spreads up to 3 feet and needs full sun to partial shade. For dark, rich leaves, try the cultivar Blackie.

Geranium

(Pelargonium x hortorum, grown as an annual)

Sure, this plant is a classic bloomer in backyards across North America, but now gardeners are selecting it for its foliage as well. It grows up to 20 inches tall and wide and does best in full sun. Look for fancy-leaved varieties for the best foliage options, like the Ben Franklin cultivar with white leaf tips.

Purple Fountain Grass

(Pennisetum setaceum, Zones 8 to 11, grown as an annual elsewhere)

This midsummer to early autumn beauty offers plenty of visual interest. Try Purpureum for deep purple foliage and feathery tops. It grows up to 3 feet tall in full sun. For other ornamental grass picks, try Indian grass or Hakone for the shade.

Coral Bells

(Heuchera, Zones 3 to 9)

Get great color from late spring to early autumn with gorgeous varieties of coral bells. This plant grows up to 3 feet tall and the leaves come in a variety of shades, including purple, red, black, silver, amber, orange and bronze. Try Amber Waves or Marmalade for orange shades and Chocolate Ruffles or Purple Petticoats for ruffled foliage.

(Caladium bicolor, annual)

Make a bold statement with just a few caladiums in your garden. Known for their multicolor leaves, often with varying shades of pink, they definitely add color to a flower bed. Try Pink Beauty for light pink shades or Little Miss Muffet for burgundy-red speckles. And if pink isn't for you, create an elegant look with Candidum, which has white foliage with dark green veins.

Ornamental Cabbage

(Brassica oleracea cultivars, annual)

Ornamental cabbage takes center stage in autumn. While other plants quickly deteriorate, this unique plant shines in shades of green, blue, purple, red, pink or white. Best of all, the color intensifies through late fall and into early winter. Grow this plant in full sun to partial shade. Try ornamental kale for similar results.

Lambs' Ears

(Stachys byzantina, Zones 4 to 8)

Create instant texture in your garden with the soft, fuzzy stems of lambs' ear. The plant's silvery leaves shine from early summer to the middle of autumn. Try the Big Ears cultivar for large leaves and purple flowers. And if you want maximum foliage benefits, plant Silver Carpet. It is a non-flowering cultivar with striking, silvery-white leaves.

Dusty Miller

(Senecio cineraria, Zones 8 to 12, grown as an annual elsewhere)

With lacy leaves and powdery-white foliage, Dusty miller provides a great garden backdrop for your favorite plants. For compact plants with rounded leaves, try the cultivar Cirrus. For finely cut silvery foliage, plant Silver Dust.

Sedum

(Sedum species, Zones 3 to 10)

This butterfly magnet doesn't bloom until summer or fall, but its foliage offers plenty of interest in spring. Sedum varieties range in height from 2 inches to 2 feet high and wide and prefer full sun to light shade. For distinctive red foliage, try the cultivar Dragon's Blood.