There is no doubt that plants are lovely creatures; however, there are some plants that take our breath away with their incredible qualities.
Some of these plants have unique and eye-catching leaves.
These leaves have unique colors, lobe designs, and shapes as well. What’s even more amazing is how much color and life these plants can add to your home.
Are you interested in knowing more about such plants? Well, here are 10 plants with cool leaves!
10 Plants With Cool Leaves
1. Canna Plant
The canna plant is a sight to behold; these leaves have stunning leaves that do not go unnoticed. Canna plant is indigenous to the southeastern United States.
They are large perennial plants that can reach a height of 5 feet from the ground.
This plant has massive banana-like leaves that can be green, red, striped or something in between.
Their leaves range in length from 18 to 36 inches and have a coarse texture.
Another amazing feature of this plant is its flowers. The flowers are large and yellow, and they bloom in the summer.
They thrive in the heat of summer provided they receive some moisture.
The growth of this plant only requires partial shading from sunlight; they need at least 4 hours of direct sunlight daily.
2. Coleus Plant
Coleus is a brightly colored plant with serrated leaves. This plant is native to Southeast Asia and Australia.
The color of this plant varies depending on the species, but it can be any of the following colors;
- Green
- White
- Cream
- Yellow
- Pink
- Red
- Maroon
- Dark Purple
Its leaf size ranges from 1 to 6 inches wide and 6 to 36 inches long. This plant produces fruits that look like nutlets and are about 1 mm long.
Coleus grows best in soils that are cool, evenly moist, and well-drained. Consistent moisture is beneficial to this plant but soggy conditions promote root disease.
This plant requires partial shading to be sustained. Although some species of coleus can handle full sun, others require just a moderate amount of sunlight.
3. Corel Bell
This plant is also known as alumroot and it is a native of Northern America.
This plant has some unique features like;
- It has palmately lobed leaves on long petioles. It has purple bronze color.
- It has a tiny bell shape, which explains its name.
This plant is a shade plant, they require about 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day.
Corel bell grows in different habitats, this is the major reason why some species look quite different from one another.
Their preferences such as temperature, soil, and other natural factors vary based on the specie.
Here is an article I wrote on plants with caudex
4. Caladium
If you’re looking for an indoor plant, a caladium plant is a great option. Caladiums are tropical perennials with heart-shaped, colorful leaves.
It can also be called “Angel wings”. And, it is native to South and Central America’s tropical forests.
Caladium leaves are classified into three types: fancy, lance, and strap.
Caladiums with fancy leaves have heart-shaped, triangular- or round-ovate leaves with three main veins arranged in the shape of an inverted letter Y.
Strap-leaved caladiums, on the other hand, have narrow linear or ribbon-like leaves with a single main vein and no discernible basal lobes.
Lance leaves have leaf blades that are broad sagittate or cordate-lanceolate, with no obvious basal lobes.
5. Hosta
This plant, also known as plantain lily, is native to Eastern Asia.
Hostas can be heart-shaped, lance-like, or cupped, with ribbed leaves borne in a cluster at the plant’s base.
Its leaves are usually variegated white, lime green, and blue-green.
The leaves are large in general, but they vary in size from 0.5 to 18 inches long and 0.5 to 12 inches wide.
This plant prefers partial sun or dappled shade, but it will grow in deep shade as well. There are, however, several host varieties that can be grown in full sun.
Also, hosta plants prefer well-draining soil, as opposed to wet or moist soil.
6. New Zealand Flax
This New Zealand flax is an herbaceous perennial monocot. This plant is a native of New Zealand and Norfolk Island.
It is used for making linen clothing, similar to flax, as well as ropes and baskets.
The leaf of this plant has sword-shaped. Its leaves are usually dark green; they also have colored margins and central ribs.
This plant is about 1-6 feet in length and about 1-3 feet in width.
New Zealand flax is rather slow-growing plant species. It can take several years before small seedlings mature into full-sized plants.
This plant requires a partial shade to prevent full sun exposure on it. It thrives in well-drained soils with acidic pH.
7. Mugwort Plant
This plant is also called riverside wormwood, felon herb, chrysanthemum weed, or wild wormwood. It is mainly used as a herbal medication.
Mugwort plant has dark green leaves that are about 5–20 cm long.
These leaves are arranged in a pinnate format and they have dense white tomentose hairs at their underpart.
During the summer, small red, pink, orange, and yellow flowers appear on the plant.
Although this plant requires partial shading from sunlight, it also does well on full exposure to sunlight.
Mugwort thrives in well-drained soil types with high alkalinity. This plant doesn’t require excessive watering as this may lead to excessively wet soil.
Wet soils can result in root rot, which is why it should be avoided.
8. Ornamental Grasses
Ornament grasses come highly recommended when talking about plants with cool leaves.
Their leaves are usually blue-green in summer and then, it turns a rust-brown in fall.
Ornamental grasses vary in height based on species. Most of them can get up to 15 feet above the ground.
Grass forms vary from low mounds to fountains and tall verticals.
Most ornamental grasses require well-drained soil. Planting them in raised beds will help to ensure good drainage.
This plant requires full sun exposure at certain times of the day, they also do well with partial shading from sunlight.
9. Sweet Potato Vine
This plant is a native of Central or South America. It has a distinctive heart-shaped, deeply lobed leaf. Its leaf is about 6 to 16 inches long and 3 to 6 feet wide.
It has green and white variegated leaves that are outlined in pink.
This plant thrives in well-drained soils; however, it requires moderate moisture to thrive. Therefore, overwatering this plant is a big no-no.
This plant should be partially shaded but it should get at least 6 hours of full sun.
This plant prefers hot, humid conditions similar to its native habitat and may fail to thrive in desert climates.
10. Lamb’s Ear
This plant is a native of Armenia, Iran, and Turkey. It has wrinkled thick leaves which are densely covered on both sides with gray-silver colored hairs.
These leaves are about 5 to 7 cm long and about 1 to 3 cm wide.
This plant does well in the sun in cooler climates, while in hot climates and high-heat locations like deserts, partial shade is most preferred.
Lamb’s ear thrives in well-drained soils that are slightly acidic pH. This plant requires very minimal watering.
It should only be watered if the soil feels dry. This plant is drought-tolerant but will lose some of the older leaves during dry spells.
Conclusion
Plants are a great addition to your home decor. Having plants with cool leaves gives you an environment that’s beyond ordinary and easy to spot.
The above-discussed plants with cool leaves would do justice in beautifying your space. These leaves have unique colors, shapes, and lobe designs that will make your home stand out.
