Here’s a roundup up the 18 best foliage plants to intersperse among your blooms. Grow your caladiums in partial shade, where they create an unexpected and welcome burst of season-long color for the garden. However, they are only hardy to USDA Zone 9. In cooler climates, you can grow them as annual plants and bring them indoors for the winter. Canna plants 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 to create your own version of a tropical paradise. Most artemisia plants have silvery-gray foliage that beautifully offsets both pastel flowers and richer tones such as deep mauve, purples, oranges, and blues. They pick up the slightest glint of sunlight in partial shade and light up surrounding plants. If they get a bit untidy in summer, simply shear the old foliage, and new silvery leaves will appear. Sun-worshiping coleus come in a rainbow of colors, sometimes all on one plant. Bright, cheerful plants with names such as “Big Enchilada,” Brilliancy," and “Copper Sun” hint at what to expect in the coleus aisle. Pinching makes the plants bushier and fuller, with more glorious colorful leaves to enjoy. Most Heuchera plants do best in partial shade, but they will also grow well in the sun if they have sufficient moisture. They form tidy clumps and are perfect for edging borders, planting under taller plants, and for containers. Although known as shade plants, there are several hosta varieties that can be grown in full sun, expanding their value in the garden. There are only a handful of hosta varieties, such as Hosta plantaginea, that have really attractive flowers. Most of the time, the flower stalks are cut off before bloom, allowing the plant to focus on growing their delightful leaves. If you keep yours as a houseplant in winter, you can easily take cuttings in spring to plant out in the garden. Persian shield can handle full sun, but the iridescence makes them almost glow in partial shade. Unfortunately, Rex begonias can be a little fussy to care for, unless you live in the tropics. It’s often easier to grow them in containers, where you have more control over the soil and growing conditions, rather than in the ground. In warmer climates, Phormiums are evergreen perennials. They are predominately grown for their blade-shaped leaves, but the plants also send up a flower stalk with attractive blooms in red or yellow. These vines are grown specifically for ornamental foliage, which comes in a wide variety of colors and names. “Margarita” has bright chartreuse leaves; “Sweet Caroline” or “Sweetheart” has burgundy heart-shaped leaves; and “Tricolor” has green and white variegated leaves that are outlined in pink.
