Beyond Just Blooms: Go Bold With Foliage for a Garden That Pops

Bold foliage and colorful flowers make any garden space a standout. This design trend, says Katie Tamony, garden design expert and trend spotter at Monrovia, "focuses on adding layers of lush richness to the garden, then framing the colorful blooms with dark foliage and deep green hues." Vibrant foliage provides long-lasting interest, so the garden looks good even when your flowers finish.

Bright, bold plants add depth, energy and joyful, positive feelings to gardens, containers or the landscape, Katie adds. Browse our top picks for foliage plants in colors like deep burgundy, dark green, chartreuse, near-black, bronze and copper. We've suggested flowers with the same basic needs for water, sunlight and soil to grow with them, along with their approximate heights at maturity and USDA Garden Hardiness Zones, so you'll know whether they'll perform like annuals or perennials in your region.

This coleus, ColorBlaze 'Wicked Witch,' has deep burgundy to chocolate-colored leaves with ruffled, chartreuse edges. It's an enchanting backdrop for the electric lime-to-yellow foliage of Lemon Coral Sedum and bright SunPatiens Compact Orange. Give this combination a spot in the landscape, garden or containers that get part sun to sun.

ColorBlaze 'Wicked Witch' coleus (Coleus scutellariodies): 24 to 40 inches tall; Zones 10 to 11

Lemon Coral Sedum (Sedum mexicanum): 3 to 10 inches tall; Zones 7 to 11

SunPatiens Compact Orange (Impatiens): 16 to 30 inches tall; Zones 10 to 11

Hosta Shadowland 'Above the Clouds' earns its name for its cup-shaped, cloudy blue leaves. The plants form leafy mounds that spread up to 5 feet across, making an attractive backdrop for heucheras in warm shades of peach, amber, apricot or caramel. Also known as coral bells, heucheras tolerate full sun to shade, so choose a variety that can thrive with this hosta’s need for part shade to shade. While the heucheras in the image are not identified, try the heuchera 'Toffee Tart,' which has leaves that emerge amber-colored and age to ginger. It opens creamy-white blooms in the summer. Another heuchera option, ‘Caramel,' has apricot-orange foliage and creamy-white to pale pink blooms.

Hosta 'Above the Clouds' (Hosta hybrid): 2 feet tall, Zones 3 to 9

Heuchera Dolce 'Toffee Tart' (Heuchera hybrid): 8 to 10 inches tall, Zones 4 to 9

Heuchera 'Caramel' (Heuchera villosa): 10 inches tall, Zones 4 to 9

Plant this heuchera, Forever Purple, for intense color that holds up throughout the growing season. Its glossy, purple leaves have fluted edges, and from late spring into summer, sprays of tiny, violet flowers held on deep purple stems emerge. This butterfly and hummingbird magnet behaves like an evergreen in mild winter areas, so even when nearby flowers are killed by frost, gardeners in those climates can still enjoy the gorgeous foliage. It needs rich, well-draining soil and takes full sun to full shade, but give it some shade if you live where the afternoon sun is hot and intense. Use it with partial shade to shade-loving flowers like pink bleeding hearts or red and white astilbes, or grow it in full sun with yellow daylilies. Here, it's planted between 'Striptease' hostas, which need full to partial shade. They have big, showy leaves with yellow-green centers marked with irregular white lines.

Heuchera Forever Purple (Heuchera x 'TNHEUFP'): 12 inches, Zones 4 to 9

Hosta Striptease - (Hosta x 'Striptease'): 20 inches, Zones 4 to 8

Rich soil that drains easily keeps this hydrangea happy. DreamScape has mophead-shaped flowers that open ruby-pink and mature to pale pink and dark green foliage. It adapts from part shade to full sun, if the soil in a sunny location is kept consistently moist and drains easily. DreamScape thrives alongside a variety of flowering plants. Combine it with orange, yellow, purple, pink or red daylilies, catmint plants with periwinkle blue, white or pink blooms or purple cranesbills. Lobelia in full sun to partial shade adds bright blue to the mix. In deeper shade, opt for companions like ferns, tuberous begonias or Rex begonias. DreamScape was introduced in 2026; order it online or look for it at major nurseries and home and garden centers.

First Editions Hydrangea DreamScape (H. arborescens): 3 to 4 feet tall, Zones 3 to 8

Tiger Eyes Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac is a deciduous shrub with enough bold color to make any garden space a standout. Often used as a specimen plant, its deeply cut, lacy leaflets transform during the growing season from bright yellow or chartreuse to brilliant orange, yellow and scarlet shades in the fall. Grow this dwarf variety as an eye-catching complement to Little Devil Ninebark, another deciduous, dwarf shrub with dark burgundy to purple foliage and purplish to pinkish-white flowers. Both shrubs take full sun, although the ninebark can take partial shade. Contrast the dramatic foliage with the blue blooms of Russian sage, with lavender-blue, white or pink catmint flowers or purple coneflowers. Echo the sumac’s rich autumnal colors with orange daylilies or red and orange crocosmias.

Tiger Eyes Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’): 6 feet tall, Zones 3 to 8

Little Devil Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Donna May’): 3 to 4 feet tall, Zones 3 to 7

Exotic Begonia Tectonic Magma plants are native to the forests of Northeastern India, where they flourish in full to partial shade. Their large, dark green leaves with burgundy stems and undersides have a bold visual impact in containers, the landscape, or even used as a houseplant. These deciduous plants grow in mounds and do best when given some humidity (they can even be used in large terrariums). They dislike intense sun and high temperatures. Give them flowering companions like shade-seeking red, pink and white impatiens and calibrachoas and contrast the big leaves with the airy stems and blooms of coral bells and astilbes.

Begonia Tectonic Magma (B. adscendens): 12 to 18 inches tall, Zones 8 to 11

You don't have to grow flowers with heuchera ‘Carnival Watermelon' for exciting garden color, because it's a multi-colored festival in itself. The showy, ruffled leaves come in handsome shades of peach, pink and bronze-green with silvery veins and pink undersides. ‘Carnival Watermelon’ prefers partial shade but tolerates full sun in cool climates as long as it's kept evenly moist. In early to mid-summer, tiny, white, bell-shaped flowers held on slender stems emerge from the foliage. If you want to grow this bold beauty with other shade lovers, try the contrasting textures of deep green ferns and hostas. Shade-loving astilbes and bleeding hearts, with their arching stems of colorful blooms and feathery or fern-like foliage, also set off its broad leaves.

Heuchera ‘Carnival Watermelon’ (Heuchera x hybrida): 10 to 12 inches tall, Zones 4 to 9

Royal Hawaiian Black Coral Elephant Ear isn’t as tall as a real Pachyderm. This cultivar gets its name from its enormous, heart-shaped, glossy leaves, which are jet black with electric blue veins. It's a tropical perennial that grows in clumps in filtered, partial or full sun in gardens or containers; give it part shade in very hot regions. It prefers organically rich, fertile soil, likes to be kept moist, spreads freely and can grow submerged in ponds or shallow water. These adaptable plants can be overwintered indoors as houseplants. Look for companion flowers that like similar amounts of light and moist to boggy soils, such as cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis). Options for full sun companions include red, yellow or orange Canna lilies and pink, white or red Mandevillas. While they’re grown more for their foliage than their flowers, coleus plants are also excellent choices. They're available in a variety of hot pinks, vivid oranges, brilliant yellows, lime greens and more to complement these near-black plants.

Royal Hawaiian Black Coral Elephant Ear (Colocasia esculenta 'Black Coral'): 3 to 4 feet tall, Zones 7 to 10

Go bold or go home. Plant a row of Shadowland ‘Seducer’ hostas for mounds of dark green leaves with gold to chartreuse margins. The plants have touches of white between the centers and margins of the leaves, and their lavender to near-white summer flowers attract hummingbirds. 'Seducer' is shown here with two shorter caladiums, Heart to Heart ‘Raspberry Moon,’ which has light green to yellow leaves splashed with dark green and raspberry pink, and Heart to Heart ‘Scarlet Flame,' a dark red stunner with pink and white speckles. They’re planted with a wave of Catalina Midnight Blue Wishbone Flowers. This is a part shade to shade combination for moist, well-draining, average to fertile soils, although 'Scarlet Flame' and Catalina Midnight Blue Wishbone can take shade or sun.

Hosta Shadowland 'Seducer' (Hosta hybrid): 26 inches tall (flowers up to 40 inches), Zones 3 to 9

Heart to Heart 'Raspberry Moon' and 'Scarlet Flame' (C. hortulanum): 15 to 20 inches, Zones 10 to 11

Catalina Midnight Blue Wishbone Flowers (Torenia): 8 to 16 inches tall, Zones 10 to 11

Pack your garden or containers with the bold, iridescent foliage of Persian Shield. This multicolored foliage plant has purplish-black-green leaves with a silvery sheen. It prefers full sun and can take partial shade, but needs some afternoon shade in hot climates. Low-maintenance Persian Shield needs average water and performs beautifully in beds, borders, landscapes and containers. Give it colorful flowering companions like sun-loving deep red geraniums, lavender verbenas and dark purple trailers like these Purple Supertunia Mini Vista Midnight.

Persian shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus): 18 to 36 inches tall, Zones 9 to 11

Purple Supertunia Mini Vista Midnight (Petunia hybrid): 6 to 12 inches tall, Zones 10 to 11

This sedum dances in full sun and soil that’s allowed to dry out between waterings and forms a dramatic stand of foliage that emerges light green and changes to purple and burgundy. Showy flower clusters in peach, coral, pink and cream shades open in late summer or early fall. Sedum 'Conga Line' is easy to grow; showcase this succulent with yellow tickseed (Coreopsis) or blue, pink, lavender, white and purple cranesbill geraniums (Geraniums, not the popular bedding annuals we call geraniums that are botanically known as Pelargoniums). This easy-to-grow foliage plant also sets off gold, orange, pink, red, dark violet or white yarrow blooms. (Achillea millefolium).

Sedum 'Conga Line' - (Sedum telephium 'Conga Line'): 16 to 20 inches tall, Zones 4 to 9

Dark green plants also provide intentional color and welcome contrast to colorful flowers grown around them. This holly, Emerald Colonnade, is a shrub with a pyramidal growth habit that fits nicely into narrow spaces or containers. Grow it in multiples to a privacy screen or hedge or use it as a topiary. Since this male evergreen doesn't produce berries, there are no messy fruits to drop.

Plant Emerald Colonnade hollies in full sun and water them when the top couple of inches of soil are dry. They adapt to many types of soil, but prefer acidic soils that drain easily, yet stay consistently moist. Their glossy, dense foliage focuses attention on brightly-colored Rhododendrons, coral bells, camellias, astilbes and other flowers grow around them. The hollies shown here are paired with the rich, ruby-red blooms that open from late spring into fall on Ruby Centennial hydrangeas, released in 2026. Because these deciduous hydrangeas need partial shade to or partial sun, position them so they don't get too much heat or light if they're planted near the sun-loving hollies. Morning sun and some afternoon shade is ideal. As the mophead flowers mature, they'll acquire a handsome blackish hue.

Emerald Colonnade Holly (Ilex x 'RutHol1'): 10 to 12 feet tall, Zones 7 to 9

Centennial Ruby Hydrangea (H. macrophylla 'Hokocentennial'): 3 feet tall, Zones 4 to 9

Chinese Fringe Flower is an evergreen shrub from the witch hazel family that produces springtime clusters of delicately fringed pink, white, red or cream-colored flowers. Available in dwarf to larger sizes with green, burgundy, variegated or purple foliage, the plants prefer partial to full sun. Highlight them with flowering companions like purple verbenas, pink begonias or hydrangeas with white or celadon-colored blooms, like 'Limelight.' Chinese Fringe Flower also partners beautifully with soft, feathery foliage plants, like ferns, or with strappy Agapanthus leaves.

Chinese Fringe Flower (Lorolpetalum): dwarf varieties grow to 18 inches tall; others reach 6 to 15 feet, generally hardy in Zones 7 to 9

'Limelight' (Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'): 6 to 8 feet tall, Zones 3 to 9

Tropicanna Black Canna is a perennial that has both dramatic foliage and stunning, contrasting blooms. Boasting dark purplish-black leaves and brilliant scarlet-orange flowers, this plant needs full sun and deep, regular waterings. To save them from the winter cold, gardeners in Zones 3 to 6 can dig up the rhizomes after the first fall frost, wrap them loosely in paper and overwinter them indoors in a cool, dry, dark spot. Gardeners in Zones 7 to 11 can simply cut the plants to the ground in late fall and leave them there, or, if the plants potted, cut them back and protect them with a thick layer of mulch.

Let flowers that also crave plenty of sun, such as bright yellow or orange daylilies, Crocosmias or Black-eyed Susans, partner with these plants. Or try pink or white dahlias or purple and blue salvias. Butterfly magnets like zinnias and lantanas also have brilliant, long-lasting flowers.

(Canna 'Tropicanna Black'): 5 to 6 feet tall, Zones 7 to 11

Kashmir is an easy-to-grow shrub rose with a rounded growth habit. Gardeners love its large, deep crimson flowers, which have the classic shape of hybrid tea roses. The doubled blooms open from late spring until frost, and the plants resist many common rose diseases. Grow this lovely rose as an accent plant, or use multiples and let the deep green foliage form a hedge or privacy screen. Kashmir roses also add drama to flowering plants in borders, beds and cutting gardens. They're named for their velvety blooms, said to be as soft as cashmere. Give Kashmir full sun and enriched, well-draining soil for the most abundant blooms.

Combine these roses with white hydrangeas, purple-blue or pink pincushion flowers (available as annuals or perennials) and foliage plants that also like full sun. In this image, low-growing lamb's ears serve as "shoes" to help camouflage any bare or leggy lower stems.

Kashmir Shrub Rose (Rosa x BAlmir') (sic): 3 to 4 feet tall, Zones 4 to 9

Pincushion Flowers (Scabiosa): 1 to 3 feet tall, generally hardy in Zones 3 to 9

If you're not a fan of flowers, let brilliant red, yellow and green tropical crotons add excitement and sizzle to your garden. Of, if you love flowers, choose partners like Lantanas and Pentas, which come in reds, oranges and yellows that almost match the dynamic foliage. For a classic tropical look, grow crotons, which are shrubs, with hibiscus, Dipladenias or elephant ears (Colocasia). Crotons need full sun and also stand out when paired with foliage plants that have different textures and leaf shapes, such as papery caladiums, spiky Dracaenas, feathery ferns and white, green yellow or cream-colored trailing vines like pothos. Multi-colored crotons are available with different leaf shapes and in various sizes. While they can be used as houseplants, they're toxic to people and pets.

Croton (Codiaeum variegatum): 3 to 8 feet tall, Zones 11 to 12

While tall foliage provides bold color and structural interest to gardens, short, dark plants also offer visual interest. Black Mondo Grass has purple-black, grass-like leaves and grow in full sun in cool climates. In warmer regions, it's still dramatic and delightful, but it dislikes heat and requires some shade from intense light. Often called monkey grass, it's sometimes sold under the names 'Arabicus,' 'Black Dragon,' or 'Ebony Knight.' Its pink, summer flowers form shiny, bluish-black to purplish-black berries.

This plant's slender, near-black leaves highlight flowers in shades of yellow, pink and white. In the spring, try it with daffodils; pansies complement it when the temperatures are cool in spring or fall. It's also lovely with blue Lobelia blooms and pale pink or lavender coral bells and Astilbes. To contrast its textures and color, use the foliage of light green hostas or velvety, silvery-gray lamb's ears.

Black Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'): 9 to 12 inches tall, Zones 6 to 10

Blackish-red berries form in the fall on Black Tower 'Eiffel 1', a deciduous elderberry shrub with a narrow, upright growth habit. If you can beat the birds and other wildlife to them, the berries make tasty jam or wine. This shrub's leaves start out celery-green and transform to moody purplish-black or burgundy, and blush-pink to creamy-pink blooms open in the spring. The dark foliage complements flowering companions like pink roses, yellow coneflowers, white Shasta daisies or purplish-blue Russian Sage. 'Black Tower' is stunning with the cascading, golden leaves of Golden Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra), which tops out at 12 to 18 inches tall, or icy-blue Fescue (Fescue glauca), a spiky grass that reaches about 12 inches tall.

Elderberry 'Black Tower' (Sambucus nigra 'Eiffel 1'): 4 to 8 feet tall, Zones 4 to 8

Don't overlook ornamental grasses when you're designing with bold foliage. Graceful Grasses Vertigo, commonly called purple fountain grass, has spiky, dark purple foliage and makes a dramatic statement in gardens or large containers. Later in the growing season, the wide blades of grass change to dark burgundy-black. This tender perennial needs medium to consistently moist soil in full sun; it's often treated as an annual in USDA Garden Zones 7 and below.

Brighten this dark grass with masses of SunPatiens Compact Neon Pink or Sunpatiens Compact Tropical Rose; the tropical rose SunPatiens has green, white and yellow variegated foliage. Both SunPatiens thrive in average soil with part sun to sun. They'll bloom from spring until frost and need average amounts of water; otherwise, they're practically carefree. Supertunia Mini Vista Hot Pink petunias have the same basic needs, and pair well with this striking grass.

Graceful Grasses Vertigo (Pennisetum purpureum): 4 to 8 feet tall, Zones 8 to 11

SunPatiens Compact Neon Pink and SunPatiens Compact Tropical Rose (both Impatiens): 16 to 30 inches tall, Zones 10 to 11

Supertunia Mini Vista Hot Pink (Petunia): 6 to 12 inches tall, Zones 10 to 11