(Copperleaf, Copperplant, Java White Copperleaf, Wilkes' Acalypha)

The festive copperleaf, 'Java White', has greenish yellow to ivory green leaves mottled with irregular splotches of green. An evergreen shrub native to the Pacific islands, copperleaf bears bright foliage in many mixed colors. It is a popular landscape plant in subtropical and tropical zones and planted as a houseplant or annual in cooler zones. The name, Acalypha wilkesiana, honors Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes, an American Naval Officer who explored the South Pacific during the mid-1800s.

Beautiful,...

(Copperplant, Louisiana Red Copperplant, Wilkes' Acalypha)

Louisiana Red copperplant is an evergreen shrub native to the tropical Pacific islands of Melanesia and has large, mottled bronze and red oval leaves and long, copper-green flowers. In cold climates it is often grown as an annual.

Plants prefer moist, humid conditions in full sun to partial shade. In cooler climates it is often grown as an annual, container plant or houseplant but in frost-free locations it can be used in a mixed hedge, shrub border or as a large specimen plant.

(Copperleaf, Tahitian Gold Acalypha, Wilkes' Acalypha)

An evergreen shrub native to the Pacific islands, copperleaf bears brightly colored foliage in shades or red, purple, bronze and green. It is a popular landscape plant in subtropical and tropical zones and planted as a houseplant or annual in cooler zones. The name, Acalypha wilkesiana, honors Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes, an American Naval Officer who explored the South Pacific during the mid-1800s.

Beautiful, mottled leaves are the reason copperleaf is so popular in the garden. They...

(Bear's Breeches, Summer Beauty Bear's Breeches)

The tall and stately Acanthus ‘Summer Beauty’ is a hybrid bear’s breeches that is tolerant of summer heat, if given regular moisture. Huge, glossy, semi-evergreen, lobed leaves with spines on the margins form a large, mounded rosette. Its tall flower stalks appear in late spring through midsummer with an abundance of widely-spaced, snapdragon-like blooms that are white with purple calyces (outer flower cover). The blooms are highly attractive to bees.

Acanthus prefers full to partial...

(Bank Ursine, Bear's Breeches, Oyster Plant)

This interesting Old World perennial has a coarse upright habit that adds texture to sunny gardens. Bear's breeches is quite hardy and summer-blooming. It is native to regions in southwestern Europe, though it has been in cultivation for a long time.

The long, sharply lobed, coarse leaves of bear’s breeches are deep green and form large, showy rosettes. In summer, tall, upright spikes of two-lipped, tubular maroon and white flowers are produced. Once spent, the old blooms should be cut back to...

(Bank Ursine, Bear's Breeches, Hollard's Gold Bear's Breeches)

This interesting Old World perennial has a coarse upright habit that adds texture to sunny gardens. Bear's breeches is quite hardy and summer-blooming. It is native to regions in southwestern Europe, though it has been in cultivation for a long time.

The long, sharply lobed, coarse leaves of bear’s breeches are deep green and form large, showy rosettes. In summer, tall, upright spikes of two-lipped, tubular maroon and white flowers are produced. Once spent, the old blooms should be cut back to...

(Bank Ursine, Bear's Breeches, Oak Leaf Bear's Breeches)

This cultivar of the popular bear’s breech has bigger leaves that are more deeply lobed, almost oak-like. It is an interesting Old World perennial that has a coarse upright habit that adds texture to sunny gardens. Bear's breech is quite hardy and summer-blooming. It is native to regions in southwestern Europe, though it has been in cultivation for a long time.

The deeply lobed, coarse leaves are rich dark green and form large rosettes. In summer, it produces tall upright spikes of two-lipped,...

(Bank Ursine, Bear's Breeches, Tasmanian Angel ™ Bear's Breeches, Variegated Bear's Breeches)

This interesting Old World perennial has a coarse upright habit that adds texture to sunny gardens. Bear's breeches is quite hardy and summer-blooming. It is native to regions in southwestern Europe, though it has been in cultivation for a long time.

The long, sharply lobed, coarse leaves of bear’s breeches are deep green and form large, showy rosettes. In summer, tall, upright spikes of two-lipped, tubular maroon and white flowers are produced. Once spent, the old blooms should be cut back to...

(Mountain Thistle)

This shrubby, spreading, semi-evergreen to evergreen perennial bears spiny, leathery leaves that are sharply divided and have attractive silver markings. For most, this native of West Africa is less of an ornamental and more of a weed. Mountain thistle is adapted to the forest understory and grassy fields, so it grows well in sunny and shaded locations.

Tall, upright spikes of pinkish tubular flowers appear from summer to fall. These are highly attractive to bees. Spent flower spikes should...

(Armed Bear's Breeches, Spiny Bear's Breeches)

Spiny acanthus is a clump-forming, evergreen to semi-evergreen perennial native to southern Europe. It is a bold, old-fashioned perennial that offers tall spikes of interesting flowers of maroon and ivory as well as interesting rosettes of deeply lobed, coarsely edged, dark green leaves that look good through the season.

From late spring to midsummer it becomes topped with spikes of bicolored white and maroon-purple flowers subtended by dark green bracts. The flowers are very attractive to bees....