I’ve rambled on in previous posts, about my love of foliage and today I want to take it a step further.
I am enthralled by the sight of flowers when I visit a nursery/garden center, but nothing grabs my attention more than the sight of a shrub, perennial or grass that is some shade of red. And when I say “red” I mean maroon, scarlet, reddish/black … you get the point.
Red foliaged plants play a large role in my landscape as they contrast so well with all shades of green or even yellow/chartreuse. Here are some photos of these beauties.
Some plants that stand on their own:
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| Sedum ‘Matrona’ |
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| Sambucus ‘Black Lace’ |
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| Hibiscus ‘Kopper King’ |

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| Prunus Cistena (Sandcherry) attempting to hide the utility boxes |

But, these gems truly shine when located next to plants of contrasting color:
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| Physocarpus (Ninebark) ‘Diablo’ and Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’ |
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| Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed) ‘Chocolate’ and Rudbeckia (Blackeyed Susan) |
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| Physocarpus (Ninebark) ‘Diablo’, Spirea ‘Goldmound’, Feather Reed Grass ‘Karl Foerster’ and Lobelia Siphilitica (Blue Cardinal Flower) |
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| Some sort of Coleus combo taken at the Dallas Arboretum |
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| Autumn shot of Viburnum ‘Shoshoni’, Nepeta (Catmint) ‘Walker’s Low’, Yucca ‘Golden Sword’ |
Finally, there are others that have multi-colored foliage that give you that contrast on the same plant:
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| Hypericum ‘Albury Purple’ |
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| Newly divided Panicum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’


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Just stay away from the poison sumac! 🙂
I like the chartreuse foliage personally. Although a combination of red and chartreuse – wow! I guess I’m a high contrast kind of person.
I also really like these color combinations. I am always looking for some deep colors to add to the garden like the Dark Hose Weigela that I added last fall – hope they survived the winter!
Eileen
How very beautiful! Obsessive gardening certainly has its rewards!
I’m with you…love red/burgundy leaves…have you tried Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’, it’s super-easy to grow (and propagate) and is stunning…especially the new growth!
If you like reddish black, you might like Astrantia. This perennial is offered in several very dark red varieties. Michael King includes it on his list for wetlands.
Tex – I am a lock to get hit with both sumac and poison ivy, happens every year.
Diana – I feel a charteuse post coming on real soon, huge fan of that as well!
Gatsby – I have to check out that Weigela, sounds perfect to me.
Lois – Obsessive almost to a fault, I change my mind too often and overanalyze too much.
Scott – planted two of those Persicaria in the fall, I check them daily for new growth, praying they survived the winter!
Allan – “List for wetlands”, you know me too well, I am all over researching it now. Thanks as always!
The last grass picture is great! Very different. I wish I was slightly more interested in landscaping with beautiful annuals and perenials….but I would much rather spend my time working with plants that feed me. Yours are beautiful though.
Coleus adds a great pop to any area! I love,love the grass in the last photo…I know you must have the chartruese an burgandy ornamental potato vine somewhere.
Your full grown diablo ninebark is huge! I love red too and bought several of these ninebarks. I love how that shrub looks but I may need to rethink where I’m planting them. More room is required.
I love the red foliage. I’ve been adding lots to my back garden over the last couple of years. Ninebark ‘Coppertina’, Penstemon ‘Husker Red’ and they look so pretty with the chartreuse leaves of other plants.
Oh, I love red foliage, especially with chartreuse or grey/blue (like some fescue). My favorites right now are lace leaf maple, smoke tree, and heuchera.
Katrina – I plan on growing a ton of veggies and herbs on my deck this year. Deer can’t get em and I can make my own soil. Thanks for stopping by!
Darla – I have used both potato vines in containers the past two years and will do it again. Only problem is that they get eaten like mad.
Marguerite – Diablo does get huge and I plan on pruning back pretty hard next spring to control the size.
Catherine – love Coppertina but don’t own one … yet.
Soapbox – I was just thinking about my need to add more “blue” to the mix and what better way than by adding grasses like fescue.
ohhh sorry for the question, but in the second images there’s a plant, Sambucus ‘Black Lace’, well if you let me say my opinion, looks like more than a Cannabis sativa plant jajajajaja.
Thanks for the pictures, I love plants and I will love to have plants in my place but it can’t be done because i don’t have time to take care of it.
Nrice pictures, thx for your post
very beautiful flowers on the picture