(Thread Alternanthera)

A native of Mexico and South America, joyweed is an evergreen tender perennial commonly grown for its colorful leaves as a bedding or container plant. Its fine to medium textured narrow, glossy leaves may be bright green, pink, bronze or burgundy-red, depending on the cultivar. Flowering occurs in fall and is insignificant. Two popular selections include 'Red Threads', which has fine, burgundy-red leaves, and the colorful variegated variety 'Party Time', which has leaves marked with green, cream...

(Partytime Alternanthera, Thread Alternanthera)

The colorful foliage of ‘Party Time’ is especially eye catching. Its green, wavy leaves have hot pink streaks and blotches. Some leaves are entirely pink and others entirely green. It is a lovely garden compliment to colorful tropicals or more subdued bedding plants.

Joseph’s Coat is a low-growing tropical perennial valued for its bushy habit and glossy, colorful leaves. It is native from Mexico to Argentina where it naturally inhabits open forests with ample precipitation. The variable leaves...

(Snowball Alternanthera, Thread Alternanthera)

The cultivar ‘Snowball’ is especially eye-catching Joseph’s Coat. The gray-green leaves have highly varied markings in white, ranging from streaks and broad blotches to half a leaf. Some leaves are entirely white or entirely green.

Joseph’s Coat is a low-growing tropical perennial valued for its bushy habit and glossy, colorful leaves. It is used in containers as a contrast or accent plant or grown in the garden during warm months as a groundcover or edging plant. The white flowers are small...

(Blue Hibiscus)

Blue hibiscus is an evergreen shrub native to Australia. Leaves are bright green, rough textured and irregularly lobed. The hibiscus-like flowers are glossy, mauve, lavender or blue, borne in the leaf axils at the tips of the branches throughout the year in warm climates.

Blue hibiscus grows quickly, thriving in well drained soils and full sun. If plants are well mulched, little supplemental water is required. Prune by heading back to produce a compact plant. In mild climates use as a border specimen...

(Blue Hibiscus, Purple Delight™ Blue Hibiscus)

Purple Delight Blue Hibiscus is an evergreen shrub native to Australia. The Purple Delight cultivar flowers freely throughout the growing season with single, funnel-form, royal purple flowers borne in the leaf axils at the tips of the branches throughout the year in warm climates. Leaves are bright green, rough textured and irregularly lobed.

Purple delight blue hibiscus grows quickly, thriving in well drained soils and full sun. If plants are well mulched, little supplemental water is required....

(Blue Hibiscus, Santa Cruz Blue Hibiscus)

Santa Cruz blue hibiscus is an evergreen shrub native to Australia. Cultivar ‘Santa Cruz’ flowers freely throughout the growing season with single, funnel-form, mauve to pale purple flowers borne in the leaf axils at the tips of the branches throughout the year in warm climates. Leaves are bright green, rough textured and irregularly lobed.

Santa Cruz blue hibiscus grows quickly, thriving in well drained soils and full sun. If plants are well mulched, little supplemental water is required. Prune...

(Mountain Madwort)

Mountain madwort is native to the Mediterranean. It is a mound forming perennial that produces fragrant clusters of yellow flowers borne above gray-green hairy foliage.

Mountain Madwort thrives best in dry rocky soil and has a preference to full sun, although it will tolerate light shade. Add vibrancy to the facade of stone walls by planting mountain madwortin empty crevices or plant towards the front of dry borders. Interesting addition to the edge of a large alpine trough container. Cultivars...

(Mountain Gold Madwort, Mountain Madwort)

Mountain madwort is native to the Mediterranean. It is a mound forming perennial that produces fragrant yellow flowers borne in clusters above gray-green hairy foliage. Mountain Gold is one cultivar that is worth its weight, since it covers itself entirely with yellow flowers that its foliage becomes hardly visible.

Mountain Gold madwort thrives best in dry rocky soil and has a preference to full sun, although it will tolerate light shade. Add vibrancy to the facade of stone walls by planting...

(Prince's Feather, Prince-of-Wales-Feather)

This large, colorful annual is probably a naturally occurring hybrid originating in Central Amercica. It has been grown since ancient times for its grain and greens, as have two other amaranths: Amaranthus cruentus and A. caudatus. This amaranth was widely cultivated and revered by the Aztecs, playing a central role in their diet and in many of their religious rituals. Most contemporary gardeners cultivate it purely for its showy flower spikes, although it is increasingly...

(Joseph's Coat)

Grown in flower gardens for its dazzling plumage, this large annual is an important leaf vegetable in tropical Asia, where it is native.

This fast-growing, heat-loving plant bears large, elliptic or oval leaves that are often brilliantly hued when young, forming colorful ruffs atop tall, erect stems. The new leaves may be yellow, red, purple, bronze, ivory, or combinations thereof. The leaves gradually age to medium or dark green. In tropical Asia, where this plant is grown for the flavor rather...