Plants with red foliage are the type of plants that will create a magnificent display of colors in the garden, attracting many’s attention. Red, orange, purple, blue, and other bright-colored plants stand out, primarily when grown in contrast with green leaves.
This is the reason why the red colored plants will always be in demand. Here are some of the red-leaved plants you can add to your garden to make it bright and beautiful.
A List of Different Plants With Red Foliage
1. Polka Dot Plant
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Hypoestes Phyllostachya is an eye-catching little plant with bright colors of leaves. Some are pink with green spots, while others are mottled or spotted with purple, red, and white.
The deeper colors always have a brighter contrast, so the plant pops even more. These are the plant that are native to Australia but much loved in America, where they grow in large numbers. They have vigorous growth spreading fast around the area they are growing. These red plants are known to be indoor plants that can grow in simple containers, and thrive in warmer climates.
2. Sweetspire Henry’s Garnet
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Itea virginica is an improved version of a Florida native commonly grown for its sweet-smelling blooms. This compact shrub makes a lovely addition to any landscape, garden, or container, as it is an excellent mixed border plant to place.
This beautiful plant is the kind that would require full sun in the morning hours and partial shade in the afternoon, which means that you can water it early in the morning, and it will be great.
In addition, make sure that you would grow it in zones six to ten, and see it thrive, as you would also provide it with the proper soil condition, which is medium wet to slightly acidic.
3. Japanese Maple
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Acer spp is the scientific name for the maple trees, and these trees are ones that would come in various shapes and sizes; some could be tall and upright, others short and muscular. The leaves are at the center stage of this tree as they are purple when growing but turn into a radiant red, orange, or yellow in the fall. It has many branches that offer balance to the tree.
This tree can transform and define your landscape, whether big or small. However, they have the ability to grow from two feet to almost 30 feet tall when the right conditions are provided, to elaborate further, these trees need to be placed in a slightly acidic soil, and in a location where full sun would be available.
On the other hand, you can use either a clay type of soil where water will stay in the bottom, or a loamy kind where the roots will not be exhausted with too much moisture, either one is fine.
4. Ti Plant
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Cordyline fruticosa is a popular accent plant for any landscape. The dramatic foliage is quite an attraction in the outdoor landscape. It is also grown as a potted houseplant and is adored for its fast growth and colorful foliage.
This plant is found mostly in New Zealand, and commonly in pacific regions and the pacific islands, too. It has different benefits such as weaving the dried leaves, and even some would also use it in cooking.
You can propagate it though the stems, which is an easy task, and make sure that you are located in the zones of 10 to 12, and a well-draining soil is provided. You can water it once a week, or once every two weeks, depending on the soil’s dampness.
5. The Heart of Jesus Plant
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Caladium bicolor is a perennial flowering plant that is best grown as a garden bedding, container plant, or houseplant. It is grown for its colorful, arrow-shaped leaves in a rainbow of colors like pink, white, red, green, and bicolor.
Its flowers and fruits are insignificant as the beauty of the leaves stands out all the time. Moreover, it has leaves that are quite large, and they would thrive when the tree is in a location of full sun and the soil is acidic and rich in nutrients.
6. Grace Smoke Tree
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The Cotinus Coggygria tree is a delightful composition of mixed textures with large colorful leaves and giant feathery plumes. The foliage is vibrant wine red in its young days, maturing into a darkening plum red color, which is why it can add a unique vibrancy to your house or your garden, as it is used to add color in flower beds.
When you are growing this plant, make sure that you would place it in a simple soil that is not heavily organic, and place it in a location where it would see full to partial amounts of sun. When your tree grows, it would be great that you would keep this ornamental bush nicely pruned, because this way, it will add a beautiful vibrancy.
7. Flamingo Lily
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Anthurium andraeanums are shiny green heart-shaped plants attractive due to their foliage. They add a blast of greenery to your home with their waxy-heart-shaped bracts or spathes. These are produced on long stems and bloom in a variety of colors.
The blooms are modified colorful leaves plus the finger-like spadix that rise from the spathe. They add such a lovely touch to your house and especially when they are placed on the borders. These beautiful blooms can remain for months if cared for properly. Make sure that you would give it the right requirements and these plants would thrive.
8. Croton
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Codiaeum Variegatum is a common plant grown indoors and outdoors for its striking foliage. It’s one of the six species of broadleaf evergreen perennials in the Euphorbiaceae. It is native to tropical Asia and the Western Pacific region.
This evergreen shrub varies widely in leaf color and pattern. In addition to adding their beautiful colors and the variety of shades that they are known to feature, these are the plants that have been also used for their medical properties together with their vibrancy. The leaves have a unique style of growing, and when the season changes, so will their color.
9. Mammy Red Plant
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The codiaeum mammy plant is native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, and the Western Pacific Ocean Islands. It has broad leaves and, depending on the variety, bright yellow, red, green, brown, and purple colors. It has tiny yellowish flowers with no petals and white male flowers that show off in Autumn.
When you aim to grow this plant to its utmost potential, make sure that you would place it in a location where the sun rays won’t be harsh, or else it would stress the plant, which means ideally it should grow in an indirect light.
In addition, the soil should be a well draining one, where you must add fertilizers in the beginning of spring, so that it has proper strength to grow.
10. Red Dragon
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Corylus Avellana plant is an attractive indoor or outdoor plant for its beautiful burgundy red leaves. The foliage holds its color in summer, changing into a more purple color in the fall. This plant is a perfect choice whether you are a newbie to plants or a seasoned grower. Its zigzag growth habit oozes with character making it stand out.
You should remember that the plant would require partial sun in the afternoon, because the latter has strong light, but the morning sun is perfect for it. Remember that you must fertilize if you see that the height isn’t growing so much. When the tree grows properly, it will be the perfect kind for your outdoors, as it adds beautiful colors.
11. The Campfire Plant
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Crasulla capitella is native to South Africa and prominent in Namibia and Botswana, and it would have the ability to grow six inches long, and two to three feet wide as it would spread. If you love attractive foliage, this one will do the magic.
It is a small perennial with fleshy-like leaves maturing from bright green to red. It has tiny star-like white flowers on tall, stout stems in summer. However, to make it grow properly you must give it the proper care, which is six hours of sun, and a well draining soil.
12. Bromeliad
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Bromeliaceae sp. is a large family of about 3000 species ranging from perennial evergreen shrubs to epiphytes found in trees, rocks, and cacti. It is related to the pineapple and is native to South, North, and Central America.
Many bromeliads are air plants and can attach themselves to tree trunks, logs, or any other matter you provide. Since it doesn’t have much of roots, it is prone to cling on other plants to get the proper support of receiving the right nutrients to grow.
13. Tropical Smoke Bush
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Euphorbia Cotinifolia is a Central American shrub extensively grown in a tropical landscape. It tolerates dry climates but will do well under moist soils. The foliage is deep burgundy when grown under the full sun, while it changes to lighter shades under lower light conditions. It grows up to 30 feet tall.
When you are growing this beautiful plant you should make sure that your kids or pets would stay away from it, because it is a sap which is toxic to the skin. On the other hand, keeping it has different benefits, which is being one of the greatest boundary shrubs.
14. Rex Begonia
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Begonia Rex-cultorum is the most beautiful of all the begonias as it has dramatic leaves in various colors. They are also known as painted leaf begonias or fancy leaf begonias. This plant is solely grown for its foliage.
The blooms are small and less showy, with most growers pinching them off to allow the leaves to thrive. Which is why it is a great choice if you like to keep it in your balcony or hang it somewhere so it would add some vibrancy.
Conclusion
Plants with red foliage are commonly grown in Asia as they symbolize love, courage, passion, and strength. They also attract positive energy, prosperity, ad good luck. Before you get your good luck red plant, here are a few things to remember:
- The red foliage constantly adjusts its color intensity depending on the amount of sun they receive when growing; the more the sun, the brighter they will become.
- These plants can be either houseplants or grown outdoors to complement the landscape as long as you provide the right growing conditions.
- You can plan to have all year-round red plants by choosing plants that thrive n different seasons.
- Our favorite choices are coleus, the red hots, and begonia, as you can grow them with other plants to create a more focal point in your landscape.
If you are a plant lover looking to add a color pop to your landscape, this list will give you a few hints.
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