Our list of eye-catching foliage plants, from ferns and palms to water gardens, brings the garden indoors.
If you see brown, crispy leaf edges, give the plant more humidity.
However, if you notice yellowing or browning leaves, cut back onthe amount of water you give it.
Credit:BHG / Phoebe Cheong
Keep this plant away from children and pets because the roots and stems are toxic.
For best results, give this tropical houseplant a warm environment withhigh humidity.
The green prayer plant (pictured here) is sometimes called rabbit tracks for its purplish brown leaf markings.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
It also combines well with other plants indish gardens and terrariums.
Many have unique leaf shapes and forms as well.
Also called good luck plant and sometimes classified asC.
Credit:BHG / Phoebe Cheong
terminalis,its colorful, strap-like leaves emerge from a central stalk.
As the plant ages, it loses its lower leaves to show off a woody trunk.
It’seasy to propagate; just place sections of the trunk horizontally on moistpotting soil.
Credit: Jay Wilde
Then be patient: New shoots may take several months to sprout.
It’s often sold with several plants in one container to give it a fuller appearance.
Pinch orprune shootsregularly to keep plants lush and full.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Its compact size also makes it a good candidate for mixeddish gardensorterrariums.
If the plant gets leggy, move it to brighter light and pinch it back to encourage fuller growth.
Other varieties have a purplish color on both surfaces of leaves.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Inbright light, these foliage plants may bear pink flowers with three petals.
Inch plantroots easily from stem cuttingsstuck in moist potting soil or water.
Fatsia
The big leaves of the fatsia plant create a dramatic, tropical look in an instant.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Keep it out of cold drafts and avoid exposure to direct sun toprevent brown leaf tips.
Shower your parlor palm occasionally to wash off accumulated dust and keepspider mitesat bay.
In bright light, this foliage plant offers small creamy-white flowers and waffle-like foliage.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Its bronze-green leaves with sunken purple veins and texture make it an excellent companion plant for iron-cross begonia.
If the plant becomes leggy, pinch back the stems to keep the plant compact.
This mimics how the plant naturally collects rainwater.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Blushing bromeliad’s green-and-white striped leaves have saw-tooth edges, so take care when handling the plant.
Each oval-shaped leaf sportspatches of silverand dark green, resembling the pattern on its namesake fruit.
The trailing stems have a tinge of pink.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
It’s not closely related to either strawberry or begonia but has some characteristics that resemble those plants.
Purple Passion
The fuzzy foliage ofpurple passionis interesting and distinctive.
Because of its color and texture, you may also know this classic foliage plant as purple velvet.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Its fast-growing stems trail as they lengthen, making the plant adaptable to hanging baskets.
Plus, it’s easy to grow more from cuttings.
Balfour aralia (pictured here) is one of several aralias commonlyavailable as houseplants.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Ming aralia(Polyscias fruticosa)has deeply lobed, lacy leaves.
Parsley aralia (Polyscias fruticosa’Elegans') is smaller, with dense, curled leaves.
All develop corky, gnarled trunks as they age.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Aralias need warm temperatures and high humidity.
Keep them away from cold drafts.
Several plants go by the common name of asparagus fern.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Foxtail fern has bottlebrush plumes of medium green needles.
‘Sprengeri’ has arching stems covered with flat needles, giving the plant a frothy appearance.
It can even grow in standing water, adding fine texture to a shallowwater garden.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Piggyback Plant
Soft, fuzzy green leaves are only part of the appeal of piggyback plant.
To easily propagate this plant, simply pin a leaf bearing a plantlet to the soil to encourage rooting.
Handle this plant with care because all parts can cause skin irritation.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
However, itsfoliage is the main attraction.
This mounding plant has trailing wine-red stems and glossy, oval, purplish leaves with scalloped edges.
In summer, waffle plant bearssmall white flowersat the stem tips.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
It also works as an annual groundcoveroutdoors in shade gardens.
For something beachy and tropical, apalm plantis the next best thing to being oceanfront.
North Carolina State University Extension.
Credit: Jason Donnelly
Cordyline fruticosa.North Carolina Plant Toolbox Extension Gardener.
Mahr, Susan.Tradescantia zebrina.Wisconsin Horticulture Division of Extension.
Saxifraga stolonifera.North Carolina Plant Toolbox Extension Gardener.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
North Carolina State University Extension.
North Carolina State University Extension.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
