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Colorful Variegated Plants for Nonstop Garden Beauty

The fancy-leaved geranium ‘Mrs. Pollock’ is one of my favorites of all time!

While most gardeners usually focus on flowers in their garden beds, there is another group of plants just as beautiful. These are ornamentals with showy, variegated leaves in multi-colors. They include perennials, such as variegated Hostas, tender tropicals, such as Caladiums, and bedding plants, like everyone’s favorite leafy gem, Coleus. They are garden workhorses that look good all season long if given good care.

Variegated Hostas

‘Frances Williams’ is the best-selling perennial of all time for a reason. It’s a knockout! (Note the brown flecking on the leaves. This specimen is getting too much sun.)

Hostas are close to my heart. I have been collecting them for 30 years and have more than I care to say. These shade-loving beauties are currently the most popular perennials in the United States.  New varieties are being bred as fast as they are being sold, which is always the case with whatever is the current rage. With thousands of different types from which to choose, they never grow old.

Hostas are Asian in origin, and one of the first notable naturally-variegated varieties was first found in Japan in the 1930s and brought to America. It became the highly popular variety, ‘Frances Williams’ (Hosta sieboldiana ‘Frances Williams’, 2 feet x 5 feet, USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9), with its large, blue-green leaves edged in light green. It went on to become the most widely sold perennial of all time. Like most blue hosta, it is a shade lover that appreciates fertile, well-drained garden soil. Slugs are less apt to prey on its leaves as well.

Variegated hosta leaves now come in many shades of green, chartreuse, blue-green, gray-green, cream, or white and have different colored edges, centers, or stripes through the leaves. Other wonderful, newer varieties to try include ‘Fragrant Bouquet’ (1.5 feet x 3 feet, Zones 3-8) with its stems of sweet-smelling white summer flowers that look pretty against its white-edged, pale-green leaves. The huge (10½ inch) chartreuse-yellow leaves of  ‘Stained Glass‘ (15 inches x 48 inches, Zones 3-9) have deeper green edges that make this large, colorful, sun-tolerant hosta a real standout. Its pale-lavender flowers are fragrant and bloom on 30-inch stems. On the other end of the size spectrum is ‘School Mouse’ (8 inches x 12 inches, Zones 3-9) that has little leaves with blue-green centers and wavy, yellow edges. The classic hosta ‘Undulata Variegata’ (1.5 feet x 3 feet, Zones 3-9) is a variegated beauty that never goes out of style. Its bright-white leaves with two-tone green edges are very curly and appealing.

Variegated Coleus

Wicked Witch™ is a deeply-colored, attractive coleus. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)

Another plant that has some of the showiest leaves ever, is Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides), which is grown as an annual. It has glowing leaves in practically every color of the rainbow, including green, yellow, purple, pink, orange, red, and white–most with a mix of colors on their leaves. Coleus varieties are either upright, mounding, or trailing and range from 6 inches to 36 inches in height.  Most like partial to full shade and do well in pots and hanging baskets on a shady deck or front porch.  They also make excellent bedding plants.

A fine mounding variety for containers is ColorBlaze® Strawberry Drop from Proven Winners. Its small leaves are in patterns of red, green, yellow, and black and the stems trail a little. The bold, upright ColorBlaze® Wicked Witch™ is another to look for from Proven Winners, with its deepest purple, yellow-laced leaves.  The feathery red and yellow leaves of TERRA NOVA® ‘Lovebird’ offer a riot of color that few can match for sheer brightness and charm.

Coleus will not tolerate cold winter weather, so if you have one you really want to keep, take a cutting. Simply cut a stem, remove the lower leaves, put it in a glass of water, and new roots will start to grow in a week or so. Plant it in a well-drained pot filled with Black Gold All Purpose Potting Mix, and then keep it lightly watered and near a bright window. Give it good care, and you can plant it in the garden again next spring.

Variegated Geraniums

Tender geraniums (Pelagonium hybrids) are sun-loving, potted or bedding plants that are often grown for their beautiful clusters of red, white, or pink flowers, but many also have fancy variegated leaves with different colored edges, rings, and centers.  One of my favorites is ‘Mrs. Pollock’, which has leaves edged in cream followed by a purple-red band and a bright green center. Another is 1879 heirloom, ‘Velma Cox’, which has pale salmon-pink flowers and cheerful leaves with radiating colors of green, purple, red, and pale yellow. It is so pretty that you will want to bring it indoors as a winter house plant for a sunny window.

Variegated Caladiums

Heart and Soul is a new sun-and-shade caladium. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)

Brazilian Caladiums (Caladium hybrids, Zones 9-11) have some of the most gorgeous leaves on the planet.  Their large, heart-shaped leaves can reach up to 8 inches wide and 15 inches long (sometimes larger) and come in mixed shades of green, white, ivory, pink, rose, or red, which are presented in different beautiful patterns. On occasion, they produce spathe and spadix flowers, but these are insignificant.

Caladiums can be purchased as bulbs to plant on your own when the soil warms in late spring (Important note: cool, moist soil causes their bulbs to rot), or better yet, they can be purchased as plants. Plant them in full to partial shade, unless otherwise noted. It is important to provide moist soil because the roots have an aversion to drying out, which is why I think they do better in pots where you have more control. The bulbs cannot withstand winter cold, so dig and clean them before frost in fall, store them in a cool dark place through winter, and plant them again in spring when the soil is warm.

Proven Winners has come out with several exceptional caladiums that grow well in both sunshine and shade. Of these, I really like Heart to Heart® ‘Flatter Me’ sun-or-shade caladium, which has cream leaves speckled with green and centered in bright red, as well as the completely colorful and speckled Heart to Heart® ‘Heart and Soul’.

(Click here to learn more about Caladium.)

Variegated Angelwing Begonias

Many angelwing begonias have both dramatic leaves and flowers.

Angel-wing begonias have both beautiful leaves and flowers, and potted specimens can be grown outdoors in summer and brought indoors as house plants in the winter. The leaves have a telltale wing shape and many are variegated. They are hybrids of the speckled-leaf Brazilian begonia (Begonia aconitifolia) and the Lucerna scarlet begonia (B. coccinea ‘Lucerna’), which were first bred by Eva Kenworthy Gray in 1926. The progeny and descendants have since been called angel wing begonias. Many hundreds of varieties exist today, and lots have leaves that rival their flowers when it comes to beauty. (Click here for a full account of angel wing begonia history.)

The new variety called ‘My Special Angel‘ looks especially promising with its dramatic, white-speckled dark leaves and pink flower clusters. The purple-leaved ‘Whimsy’ is similar but has darker speckled leaves. Both can reach heights of 1 to 3 feet without pruning. The jagged-edged leaves of ‘Pink Minx‘ are unmatched in their striking beauty. They are dark green with patterned speckles of silver and pink that shine against its clusters of pink blossoms. It’s a wow!

(Rex begonias, among others,  also come in lots of varieties with festive leaves. Click here to discover some of the best!)

These beautiful plants can be planted and grown in garden beds or containers through summer if you have an empty pot that needs filling or a space in a bed that looks colorless and bare. Then let their pretty leaves do the work.

Will Mowing Hostas Kill Them?

“I live in a ground-floor apartment. I had Hostas in front of my patio. The ground crew mowed right over them.  Since there is less than an inch sticking up, do you think they’ll come back this year?” Question from Amy of Cincinnati, Ohio

Answer: Perennials like hosta have buds that reside at or just below the soil surface. If the mowers did not scalp the buds from the soil, then your hosta should return without a problem. They are particularly hardy perennials that will survive really tough winter weather. I expect that they will return for you in spring!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Diverse, Beautiful Garden Hostas

Diverse, beautiful garden Hostas come in all colors and sizes.

The plant kingdom never ceases to amaze me with the diversity that it offers. Even plants in the same genus can have very unique traits in leaf color and texture, growth habits, environmental preferences, winter hardiness, heat tolerance, and flowers. A good example of a diverse genus is Hosta, commonly called the plantain lily.

Many garden plants, such as roses, are grown just for their flowers. Hostas, on the other hand, are grown more for their foliage. While hostas do have flowers, and some of the flowers are fragrant, the glorious mounds of textural foliage are the primary attraction.

Diverse Hostas

In the garden, Hostas blend beautifully with all manner of flowering perennials and annuals.

Hostas are native to eastern Asia, but they are so widely planted in American gardens that they almost appear to be native plants. Hostas can be found in home gardens from coast to coast and tend to perform well in all but the hottest, driest areas. They have adapted especially well in the Pacific Northwest, so it is easy to understand why one might think they are native to this region.

In the mid-1900s, the hosta grown in many gardens was Hosta plantaginea, a big clump of a plant with large green leaves and tall, fragrant wands of white flowers in late summer. The Hosta palette has changed dramatically in the past 100 years because each year new varieties are introduced. Now there are thousands from which to choose. The Sebright Gardens in Salem, Oregon, lists about 500 different types in their catalog–from miniatures reaching to just a few inches to 4-foot giants. With that kind of number and variety, it can be challenging to make a selection. Sometimes you have to buy several…

Shadowland® ‘Empress Wu’ is a spectacularly large hosta from Proven Winners that grows quickly and has a real presence. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)

When choosing a Hosta, I would first decide on the ultimate size of the plant for your location, and then select the foliage color and texture that appeals to you. Hosta leaves generally range in color from dark green to chartreuse to those with waxy leaves in shades of grey, blue, or sea green. There are also many variegated forms, and some leaves have a distinctly crinkled, corrugated, or quilt-like texture or undulating edges.

My Favorite Hostas

‘Blue Mouse Ears’ is a miniature hosta with blue-green, cup-shaped leaves and small spikes of lavender flowers in summer.

I cannot list all of my favorite hostas because there are too many, but here is a small list of those well worth growing.

For a miniature type, my favorite is ‘Blue Mouse Ears’. We have had this in a small pot on our patio for several years, and it only gets about 6 inches high. It forms a nice compact clump and is attractive all summer with its blue leaves. Going from the miniature to the giant, Shadowland® ‘Empress Wu’ makes a spectacular specimen plant with dark green leaves that have deeply impressed veins. ‘Empress Wu’ can reach a height of up to four feet and makes a thick mound of foliage. Another one of the ‘giant’ types is ‘Sum and Substance’ , which has chartreuse yellow leaves and provides a pop of color in a shady corner. ‘Curly Fries’ has unique long, narrow, tapered yellow leaves with rippled edges. A longtime favorite in gardens is ‘Earth Angel’, which has textured leaves that are heart-shaped with a creamy-white border. ‘Mini Skirt’ is a low-growing type that gets very dense with wavy leaves that are blue-green with creamy edges.

Planting Hostas

‘Sum and Substance’ is a very large hosta with textural, chartreuse leaves.

There is a hosta for almost any garden. If given the right growing conditions, hosta plants will thrive. As a general rule, they are shade-loving plants, although most will perform well in an area with morning sun. They do not like the hot afternoon summer sun, and their leaves will often burn with too much. Plant them in soil amended with an ample supply of compost. Black Gold Garden Compost Blend is ideal for working into the soil around hostas at the time of planting. For established plants, a yearly top dressing of Black Gold Earthworm Castings Blend and compost benefits the plants and the soil.

While the cool and moist Northwest climate is ideal for growing hostas, this climate is also ideal for the common garden slug– the number one pest of hostas. Usually, some type of slug control (such as the organic Sluggo) is necessary to prevent leaves from becoming chewed and hole-filled due to slug damage. Some hosta plants with thick, crinkled leaves tend to be more slug resistant, but not slug proof!

Most garden centers and nurseries have a wide variety of hostas for sale.

There are so many different and diverse hostas that a trip to your local garden center will give you a clue as to what is available. Even small garden centers tend to have many types. Hostas do die to the ground in the fall but are very winter hardy and easy to divide after several years. Give them a shady location with a soil rich in compost, and they will reward you for many years. And, if you really get hooked by the Hosta bug, The American Hosta Society is the best organization to join to meet other enthusiasts and learn more.