Liven Up Indoor And Outdoor Living With 24 New Tropicals And Foliage Plants [Slideshow]
Lush, tropicals and foliage plants are great for interiorscaping, home decor and landscaping. Many are versatile enough to move from indoors to out and back again. An array of colors and foliage textures add to their appeal for container combinations. Here are some of the latest varieties available.
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Alocasia 'Mandalay' (AgriStarts)
This compact alocasia is a tough plant that holds up to 15 leaves per plant. Leaves have wide, silver margins. It is available in 72cp liners and hardy in Zones 9 to 11. Grow in full to part shade. Grow time: 4 to 5 months for a 4- to 5-inch pot.
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Anthurium 'Tickled Pink' (Oglesby)
Anthurium 'Tickled Pink' is a new variety with flowers that start out dark lavender and mature to a vibrant, fluorescent pink with lavender overtones. It is a vigorous grower with excellent tolerance to common anthurium diseases. The compact growth habit and large colorful flowers held just above the foliage make it economical to grow and ship. Recommended for 6- to 8-inch pots.
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Aralia/Fatsia 'Camouflage' (Monrovia)
Each leaf of this shrub or small tree possesses an exquisite melding of yellow, lime and green, providing an illuminating effect in a dappled shade setting. This evergreen plant is prized for its unique, highly textural foliage. It often blooms fall to winter, producing showy panicles of white flower clusters.
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Begonia 'Jurassic Pink Shades' (Ball Ingenuity)
The Jurassic series offers a new option for growers and retailers to create an easy-to-finish, programmable Rex begonia crop. Filled with bold colors and patterns for deepest shade, the Jurassic series is vigorous and super uniform, plus plants continue to actively grow under cooler temperatures. Available colors: Green Streak, Silver Point, Silver Swirl and Watermelon.
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Begonia 'Jurassic Silver Swirl' (Ball Ingenuity)
The Jurassic series offers a new option for growers and retailers to create an easy-to-finish, programmable Rex begonia crop. Filled with bold colors and patterns for deepest shade, the Jurassic series is vigorous and super uniform, plus plants continue to actively grow under cooler temperatures. Available colors: Green Streak, Pink Shades,Silver Point and Watermelon.
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Begonia 'T Rex St. Nick' (Terra Nova Nurseries)
New to the begonia T Rex series, 'St. Nick’ has a jolly red center surrounded by green and white dots. The dense, shrub-like habit is a fit for indoor and outdoor containers in Zones 9 to 11 and achieves an average size of 16-inch high and 16-inch wide with a 16-inch flower height.
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Burbidgea schizocheila 'Golden Brush' (AgriStarts)
'Golden Brush' is a dwarf ginger with an upright habit that is great for containers in full to part shade. It blooms in late summer to fall and has vivid orange blooms that last for weeks. 'Golden Brush' is available in 72cp liners and hardy in Zone 9 to 11. Grow time: 5 to 6 months for a 6-inch pot.
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Caladium 'Poison Dart Frog' (Plants Nouveau)
Vibrant, but certainly not toxic, the shiny, dark-green leaves of this caladium are splotched with red and reflective in bright light, making them look waxed. While most caladiums benefit from shade, 'Poison Dart Frog' is at its best in partial sun, opening new possibilities for use in the garden and mixed containers.
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Coleus 'Under the Sea Sea Weed' (Hort Couture)
The Under the Sea varieties do well in the sun or shade and work in a combination container or for bringing a FashionScape design to your landscape. The new 'Sea Weed' and 'Sun Fish' are two of 10 varieties in this unique collection.
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Coleus 'Under the Sea Sun Fish' (Hort Couture)
The Under the Sea varieties do well in the sun or shade and work in a combination container or for bringing a FashionScape design to your landscape. The new 'Sea Weed' and 'Sun Fish' are two of 10 varieties in this unique collection.
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Colocasia 'Black Coral' (Plant Haven)
'Black Coral' has glossy, dark black foliage held on dark petioles. Plants have tidy, clump-forming habits with short runners developing close to the mother plant. It requires moist, rich, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.
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Colocasia 'Kona Coffee' (Plant Haven)
'Kona Coffee' has glossy, slightly cupped, dark chocolate-mahogany foliage held on dark petioles. It has a tidy, clump-forming habit and requires moist, rich, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.
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Colocasia 'Painted Black Gecko' (Plants Nouveau)
From the Gecko line of colocasias by breeder Brian Williams comes this darker than dark new selection. The foliage can look deep purple, black or even metallic-blue in different light. Deep blue stems hold the foliage high above the base, making a lovely vase-shaped plant in a container or in the garden. 'Painted Black Gecko' is a vigorous, clump-forming plant that will not spread.
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Crossandra 'Orange Marmalade' (Sakata)
Crossandra 'Orange Marmalade' is tolerant of high heat and humidity and makes a superb crop for late summer and early fall sales. This variety's glossy-green foliage and large, bright orange flower clusters bring a tropical flair to the home or patio. 'Orange Marmalade' is a good performer in beds, patio planters and mixed containers.
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Croton Petra (Costa Verde Imports)
Croton Petra is known for its uniquely colored foliage and makes a great statement indoors as a stand alone plant. Known for uniquely colored foliage, Petra has many varieties and colors in its lineup. Petra performs better in bright light, but not direct sun, and prefers more humidity. It requires very little maintenance.
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Hibiscus 'Curacao Wind' (Aris Horticulture)
Tradewinds tropical hibiscus from Keepsake Plants feature lush, exotic blooms in bright colors that will bloom continously with proper care. 'Curacao Wind' has large, 6-inch, golden-yellow flowers with white-banded, magenta throats.
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Hibiscus 'Red Darling' (Monrovia)
'Red Darling' is a profuse bloomer with vigorous upright growth and glossy deep-green foliage. Large, tropical flowers are a mixture of velvety red with a creamy-coral reverse. A large red pistil holds bright gold pollen, inviting hummingbirds to the garden. Bred by Hiroshi "Hiro" Kuwabara.
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Hibiscus 'Saba Wind' (Aris Horticulture)
Tradewinds tropical hibiscus from Keepsake Plants feature lush, exotic blooms in bright colors that will bloom continously with proper care. 'Saba Wind' is a new, large 5.5-inch variety with two-toned lavender flowers that have pink throats.
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Mandevilla 'Sun Parasol Designer White' (Suntory Flowers)
Designer White brings an entirely new form to Sun Parasol mandevillas. Plants full of classy white blooms grow into elegant bushes with sturdy stems that don’t need to be supported by stakes or trellises. Vigorous growth makes them natural to train as a standard tree form or topiary.
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Mandevilla 'Sun Parasol Strawberry' (Suntory Flowers)
'Sun Parasol Strawberry' introduces a delicious new color in Sun Parasol mandevillas. Bushy plants feature vibrant, light-red blooms with dense, vigorous growth and superior disease resistance. Strawberry joins the Sun Parasol Original group. Compact plants are perfect for patio pots, hanging baskets, window boxes and balconies.
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Mukgenia 'Nova Flame' (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Terra Nova Nurseries’ new hybrid genus of mukdenia and bergenia is called Mukgenia 'Nova ‘Flame.’ Its vigorous, low, compact mounds of shiny, leather-thick leaves with jagged edges sprout small, rose-pink clusters. It performs best in Zones 3 to 9, achieving an average size of 6-inches high and 12-inches wide with a 13-inch flower height.
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Spathoglottis 'Far Out Freckles' (Oglesby)
Spathoglottis 'Far Out Freckles' is a vigorous-growing, early-flowering garden orchid. The flowers have a white background overlaid with fuchsia freckles that become more numerous at the petal tips. With maturity, 'Far Out Freckles' produces strong flower spikes with clusters of flowers. Each flower spike will continuously produce flowers for months. Plants are around 30 inches tall with flowers at maturity. Ideal for 6- to 8-inch containers.
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Streptocarpus 'Ladyslippers White Purple' (Green Fuse Botanicals)
Ladyslippers streptocarpus are part of the Lifestyle Plants category, which can be successfully grown as indoor house plants and also used out-of-doors on a shady/protected patio area for subtle summer color. Streptocarpus Ladyslippers new introductions for the upcoming 2015-2016 season are Grape Ice and Yellow Blue Center.
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Streptocarpus 'Ladyslippers Yellow Blue Center' (Green Fuse Botanicals)
Ladyslippers streptocarpus are part of the Lifestyle Plants category, which can be successfully grown as indoor house plants and also used out-of-doors on a shady/protected patio area for subtle summer color. Yellow Blue Center is a new introduction for the upcoming 2015-2016 season, along with Grape Ice.
View all
Alocasia 'Mandalay' (AgriStarts)
Anthurium 'Tickled Pink' (Oglesby)
Aralia/Fatsia 'Camouflage' (Monrovia)
Begonia 'Jurassic Pink Shades' (Ball Ingenuity)
Begonia 'Jurassic Silver Swirl' (Ball Ingenuity)
Begonia 'T Rex St. Nick' (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Burbidgea schizocheila 'Golden Brush' (AgriStarts)
Caladium 'Poison Dart Frog' (Plants Nouveau)
Coleus 'Under the Sea Sea Weed' (Hort Couture)
Coleus 'Under the Sea Sun Fish' (Hort Couture)
Colocasia 'Black Coral' (Plant Haven)
Colocasia 'Kona Coffee' (Plant Haven)
Colocasia 'Painted Black Gecko' (Plants Nouveau)
Crossandra 'Orange Marmalade' (Sakata)
Croton Petra (Costa Verde Imports)
Hibiscus 'Curacao Wind' (Aris Horticulture)
Hibiscus 'Red Darling' (Monrovia)
Hibiscus 'Saba Wind' (Aris Horticulture)
Mandevilla 'Sun Parasol Designer White' (Suntory Flowers)
Mandevilla 'Sun Parasol Strawberry' (Suntory Flowers)
Mukgenia 'Nova Flame' (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Spathoglottis 'Far Out Freckles' (Oglesby)
Streptocarpus 'Ladyslippers White Purple' (Green Fuse Botanicals)
Streptocarpus 'Ladyslippers Yellow Blue Center' (Green Fuse Botanicals)
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Janeen Wright is former Editor for Greenhouse Grower. . See all author stories here.