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Foliage Plants For Gardening

Using plants for their foliage instead of their flowers is an important element in making any garden bed or container look amazing. These unique plants have foliage colour and vigorous trailing abilities and can be used to help offset, highlight, or even enhance the flowers and green leaves of our flowering plants.


They can trail gracefully down a basket or container, soften the look of a garden, or even add some character and impact. Fertilize as you would for your flowering plants and an occasional pruning to clean them up, is all they need.

For Shade:

Asparagus Fern – Needs moderate light to grow well but will tolerate shade and is very drought tolerant. They can be inter-planted with almost every plant in containers.


Coleus – Certain varieties of coleus are tolerant of sun, while others are best suited to the shade. Coleus varieties offer many unique colourations and can be used as a companion plant or a focal point of a planting. Plants are bushy, upright and range in height. They can easily be pinched to contain their size.

German Ivy – Often grown for its abundance of glossy green ivy-like leaves, German ivy does best in light shade. It can be hard to keep looking healthy in full sun. It is best planted in containers where it can drape.

Lamium – There are several varieties with foliage colour ranging from pale green to grey to yellow. All lamiums have a spreading habit and can be effectively used both in beds and containers and does well in shade and sun.

Pennywort (Lysimachia) – A perennial groundcover by nature, it makes for an attractive draping plant in containers. It prefers shade, but will tolerate sun.

English Ivy – An old standard used for hanging baskets and containers, available in green and variegated colours.

Persian Shield – Persian shield has large bold purple leaves. The plant can get fairly tall, so it is best used either in the ground or in large containers. The plant does well in the shade, but some morning sun will help intensify the colouring.

For Sun:

Red Pennisetum (Fountain Grass) – This purple-red ornamental grass makes a graceful statement all summer. It can be planted in the ground or containers. The more sun it receives, the better colour the foliage will have.


Sweet Potato Vines – These are grown for their very vigorous draping or spreading habit and leaf colour. Foliage ranges from almost black/purple to yellow to tri-colour. Grow in high light to full sun and give them room to run or drape.

Vinca Vine – Whether green or variegated, vinca vine is valued for its cascading habit. Vinca vine is very drought tolerant and loves the sun, but will take a little shade.

Licorice Vine (Helichrysum) – Prized for its soft grey foliage on arching stems that readily interlace themselves with the surrounding plants. Licorice vine needs lots of light.

Swedish Ivy and Plectranthus – These are vigorous trailers that come in green, variegated, and multi-coloured varieties. It needs strong light to do well and is best planted in containers.

Dracaena (Spike) – Tall, narrow, gracefully arching leaves emerging from a central stem make this plant a great focal point and source of height in planters. Spike dracaena will be happiest in full sun but does tolerate a bit of shade.