10 perennials with variegated foliage

Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow'

Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’ is a hybrid with uncommon and varied colours. Its evergreen foliage, blue-green irregularly edged with yellow, takes on rosy to red hues in young shoots that change plant’s appearance with seasons. Just before these young leaves appear, a superb flowering crowns this bushy perennial about 60 cm across. Without petals, the inflorescences mix hues matching the foliage, enhanced by red nectariferous glands, like tiny points of light. Flowering occurs in spring; it is borne on purple stems that form a beautiful contrast with the foliage. Preferring sun or partial shade, Euphorbia mainly requires well-drained soil, neutral to calcareous, and thrives in stony ground. Drought-tolerant, it is also fairly hardy (-15°C).

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Hybrid hellebore ‘Magic Leaves’

Hellebores are among the queens of winter, renowned for their beautiful flowering out of season. Helleborus ‘Magic Leaves’ produces a long flowering period, stretching from December to March, in handsome white corollas with cream stripes that become tinged with purple as they age. Its foliage, with dentate margins, broad, leathery and palmate, shows a dark green background streaked with striking cream marbling. Evergreen, it makes this perennial interesting all year round. With a bushy habit, the young plant measures about thirty centimetres. Hardy down to -20°C, plant it in neutral to calcareous soil, preferably heavy and rich, that is moist to moderately dry, and in partial shade (ideal under cover of deciduous trees).

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Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'

Hakonechla macra ‘Aureola’ is a lovely small, very luminous grass. Its foliage, fine and linear, is a fresh green, irregularly striate with gold. In autumn it turns gold, then straw and brown. It can persist like that for much of the winter. Japanese forest grass grows in a flattened cushion, and its trailing, fountain-like foliage gives it unparalleled grace. The plant reaches about thirty centimetres and spreads very slowly. It is best suited to neutral or acidic soils and performs better if they are humus-bearing, light and friable. Ideal for understorey planting, it can tolerate sun provided soil remains cool, its preferred exposure remaining partial shade or shade. Its small size and ease of cultivation also make it suitable for pot culture, to enjoy on a terrace or balcony that does not receive strong sun, and its good hardiness (-15°C) makes it suitable for many regions.

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Hosta fortunei 'Patriot'

Hostas are perennials renowned for their lush, highly decorative foliage. Many cultivars offer attractive variegation, such as Hosta ‘Patriot’, whose long ovate leaves are thick, corrugated and slightly trailing. It displays striking contrasting tones: olive green at the centre, each leaf broadly edged with white. In summer, scapes carry lavender-blue, trumpet-shaped flowers. With a fairly rounded habit, the plant reaches about 40 cm in all directions, making it a good groundcover or border plant. Easy to grow, including in pots, provided it does not dry out. Give it ordinary soil in a shaded position. Hardy to below -15°C, slugs may be attracted to its foliage.

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Persicaria ‘Purple Fantasy’

Persicarias are appreciated for their beautiful flowering, but some are mainly grown for their decorative leaf. Thus, the triangular leaf of Persicaria ‘Purple Fantasy’ declinates different shades in mixture. At bud burst period, green predominates, in gradients more or less dark. Centre of each leaf is also adorned with a V-shaped brown marking, edged with silver. Later in season, dark-green parts of leaf take on a purple tinge. In summer, delicate sprays of small white flowers seem to flutter above foliage. With fast growth, this knotweed forms in a few years a tapetum 50 cm high with double spreading, yet remains easily controllable. Easy to grow and hardy (-15°C or lower), it tolerates all exposures, in rich, fresh soil, even heavy and wet. It is also a good candidate to green up less favourable corners of garden.

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Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’

Grasses are perennials that are all the rage. Among the major subjects, the foliage of Miscanthus ‘Variegatus’ is perhaps the brightest! Its long linear leaves are pale green and largely striate with silvery-white lines. From a distance, they appear almost white. In late summer, long culms emerge from the foliage and bear striking pink spikes. The foliage then dies back, but enlivens the garden throughout winter. The plant reaches about 1.8 m in height, with around 1 m of spreading. It fills out a little more each year but remains in place. Its habit is graceful and very elegant, but the plant tends to open up at the time of spiking. Interplant it among bushes that will support it. Enjoy its graphic presence in any ordinary, fresh, well-drained soil. Give it a bright, warm position. Very hardy, you can also grow it in a pot for a few years, after which it should be divided.

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Hardy Begonia ‘Garden Angel Blush’

Begonia ‘Garden Angel Blush’ is one of the few in its genus able to survive winter in the open ground. It is a spectacular perennial with boldly patterned foliage. Leaves, palmate and strongly dentate, have a slight resemblance to maple leaves. Thick, they are a rainbow all of their own. Their hues, blending red, pink, violet and white, also display silvery metallic sheens. Dark veins run through each lamina, as if to emphasise these uncommon hues. Fast-growing, the plant reaches around 50 centimetres in height and slightly less in width. In late summer, the foliage is dotted with small pink flowers with a loose, graceful habit and simple charm. Hardy down to about -12°C if protected, this Begonia can be evergreen in mild climates, and brings an exotic touch to borders and containers. Provide rich, neutral to acidic soil and a shady position. Keep soil cool and moist during the growing season while ensuring good drainage in winter.

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Lamium 'White Nancy'

Dead-nettles are among the easiest groundcover perennials to grow. In variety Lamium ‘White Nancy’, the downy foliage is heart-shaped and crenate. Broadly silvered with a green edge, these shades give the plant a very luminous appearance, made even brighter when white flowering occurs between April and September (‘Red Nancy’ is its pink-flowered equivalent). Dead-nettle will grow in any exposure provided soil remains moist, but prefers light shade or partial shade. Evergreen to semi-evergreen, it is also quite hardy, and cheerfully enlivens woodland areas, edges of mixed borders and containers. It spreads gently without becoming invasive, and does not exceed 25 cm in height.

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Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'

Sedges are perennials valued for decorative foliage and mostly evergreen. In Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’, foliage is very bright and appears as long, fine linear leaves of creamy yellow, margined with a green stripe. Plant forms a dense, neat clump with a regular fountain habit, not exceeding 30 cm in all directions. Evergreen foliage highlights plants it is paired with and continues to brighten gloomy winter days. Flowering occurs in late spring as small, discreet spikes. Thriving in any soil type, fresh and well-drained or drier, this Carex is best suited to partial shade to shade positions, where its foliage won’t scorch. Hardy (-15°C) and of moderately fast growth, it is ideal for edging, woodland planting, winter displays or even in a pot.

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Brunnera ‘Alexander’s Great’

Brunnera ‘Alexander’s Great’ is a very handsome variety of Myosotis of the Caucasus. Its colours recall those of the variety ‘Jack Frost’, but its dimensions are more generous. Its large leaves, deciduous and slightly downy, are an almost unreal silvery white, traversed by deep green veins. At maturity, this perennial forms a cushion covering about 1 m² and reaches around 60 cm. In spring, clusters of blue flowers rise above this dense mat with metallic sheen, recalling the delicate flowering of true Myosotis. Depending on conditions, this Brunnera can flower until early summer, and again in autumn. This spectacular groundcover perennial thickens over time and naturalises easily. It grows best in any soil that stays cool and well-drained, in shade or partial shade. Hardy to -20°C, it forms pretty romantic borders in beds with dappled light.

(Photos Valleybrook Gardens)

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