Variegated Dogwood Shrub
Variegated foliage gives a plant interest even in the absence of flowers.
An example is thisred twig dogwoodbush with variegated foliage,Cornus alba’Elegantissima'.
Yellow Archangel
It’s hard to choose the best attribute of yellow archangel,Lamium galebdolon.
The Spruce / David Beaulieu
Is it the variegated foliage?
Or is it the yellow flowers?
Fortunately, we don’t have to choose.
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It is related to the more commonspotted deadnettle.
Yellow archangel’s shade tolerance makes it a good choice for use inwoodland gardens.
A clump-forming plant, it reaches one to three feet in height, with a similar spread.
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The flowers form in bunches, growing in a ring around the stem.
Yellow Loosestrife
Yellow loosestrife,Lysimachia punctata’Alexander', commonly called “Alexander’s loosestrife.”
is anotherperennialvalued as much for its foliage as for its flower spikes.
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Variegated Salvia
We don’t usually think ofred salvia,Salvia splendensas a variegated plant.
A popularannualused as abedding plant, red salvia is usually grown for its flowers, not its foliage.
Nasturtium
These nasturtiums,Tropaeolum majus ‘Jewel Hybrids’, are another example of a variegated annual.
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Their orange and yellow flowers fit in well with traditional fall color schemes.
Don’t confuse garden phlox withcreeping phlox, which is a low-growing ground cover that blooms in spring.
Garden phlox blooms in summer.
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Variegated Dalmatian iris,Iris pallida’Variegata', has a purple flower and green and gold, sword-shaped leaves.
Like many irises, it boasts fragrant blooms.
Columbine plants bloom in late spring to early summer and re-seed readily if you don’tdeadhead them.
Nakano Masahiro / Getty Images
Other variegated plants also boast three colors, such as ornamental kiwi vines and tricolor beech.
Tricolor sage’s third colorafter green and whiteis a rosy purple.
Tricolor Beech
We usually think ofbeech trees,Fagus spp., asfall foliage trees.
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We don’t think that much about their leaves until autumn.
For most types of this perennial, the leaves are more interesting than the flowers.
Some sport golden leaves, such asHeucherella’Solar Power'.
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Sweet Tea is no exception in this regard.
Frosty Morn Stonecrop
Frosty Morn stonecrop plant,Sedumbears bi-colored leaves.
The name derives from the white or “frosty” edging displayed on its leaf margins.
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Like other succulents, such ashen and chicks, this perennial tolerates low-water conditions.
Although this succulent does blossom, it is valued most for its variegated leaves.
As withAutumn Joy stonecrop, the flowers of this sedum appear in clusters atop the plant.
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Other variegated stonecrops include:
Ribbon Grass
Ribbon grass is stripedornamental grasswith vertical stripes along the blade.
Another variegated grass iszebra grass, with stripes that cut across the blade, horizontally.
While ribbon grass,Phalaris arundinacea,is an attractive plant, beware of its aggressiveness.
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As a substitute, grow the similar but better-behavedCarex’Spark Plug', a throw in of sedge.
Minute Man Hosta
Minute Man hosta is one of severalhostaplants that are variegated.
Minute Man hosta plants' leaves are white around the edges and green at the center.
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These markings make Minute Man, likeH.
Frances Williams, andH.
Francee, examples of so-called “marginally variegated” hostas.
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All are best grown in partial to full shade.
The attraction in growingActinidia kolomikta’Arctic Beauty' vines is their variegated foliage.
As the leaves emerge in spring, they’re green, but they soon pick up splotches of white.
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Even better, some leaves then develop pink tips.
The coloration does, however, fade some as summer progresses.
Its leaves display three colors: pink, white, and green.
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It’s the newest leaves that contain the most pink.
Fall foliage will be yellow, orange, or red, depending upon conditions.
Harriet Waldman Japanese maple eventually reaches a height of 15 feet tall.
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Forcultivarswhere the second color is intense, it will be orange, purple, or red.
In other cultivars, it is less intense brownish or coppery.
Snow-on-the-Mountain
Snow-on-the-mountain plant goes by several common names, including bishop’s weed andgoutweed.
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Some people value snow-on-the-mountain as an option for a variegatedflowering ground coverin zones 3 to 9.
It has variegated foliage and white flowers.
The effect of so much white is dazzling when this tree is in bloom.
Pat Canova / Getty Images
Moonshadow Euonymus
There are various variegated euonymus shrubs.
The green and gold color scheme isn’t consistent.
Still, the creamy color is attractive in its own right.
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Moonshadow euonymus makes a goodgroundcoveras it tends to stay short and spreads out horizontally.
The outer branches bear a creamy yellow color, giving the overall plant a bright appearance.
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu
