Maroon, Burgundy, or Purplish-Red Foliage/Stems

The clusters of fragrant starry white flowers with a touch of contrasting red to burgundy at the base of the corona may be produced throughout the year under warm tropical conditions. The sweet and almost honey-like, spicily fragrant flowers attract butterflies, hummingbird moths, and other pollinators. The Australian Waxflower, Hoya australis, is an exceptionally vigorous growing, twining, evergreen, tropical vine with glossy rounded ovate foliage and burgundy new growth. It naturally wants to climb and the vines can reach 30' long if offered support but it can also easily be trained to a small 3' high trellis or as a hanging basket specimen. This appears to be one of the easier to grow species and is reported to tolerate some cool sunlight although the leaves may become more olive or yellowish green than the typical deep green coloration under high light conditions. Item# 12343

Glossy dark burgundy erect foliage is the trademark of this diminutive tropical Crinum. Baby Burgundy or probably more correctly Menehune Crinum Lily produces loads of offsets and quickly creates a mass of foliage and once mature produces clusters of starry light pink flowers atop short sturdy stalks. This dwarf Crinum is grown more for its foliage than for its flower production and makes a statement when planted near contrasting colored garden companions. Grow it as an interesting container specimen or as part of the garden and landscape. Item# 10908.

Noted for its dark chocolate to maroon colored foliage, in summer Black Truffle Lobelia produces tall dark spikes of deep true red tubular flowers that are truly a hummingbird's delight. Combine this beauty with chartreuse elephant ears or other light colored moisture loving plants for a wonderful contrast. Black Truffle Cardinal Flower is a hybrid selection with Lobelia cardinalis parentage which by some accounts is considered to be the most beautiful of North America's red flowered species. Provide consistently moist to wet sites, such as a bog garden, for full sun conditions as well as the deepest foliage coloration. Image courtesy of Plants Nouveau, all rights reserved. Item# 11705

The dark purple to deep burgundy foliage nearly black foliage of this sturdy perennial is topped by spikes of sweetly contrasting purple to lilac flowers in mid to late spring. Flowers attract native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Blackbeard Penstemon or Beardtongue is hybrid selection of our native species (Penstemon species are found native only in North America) whose intensely colored foliage is sure to provide wonderful contrast with surrounding perennials in the garden and landscape or use it as a specimen in containers. Provide a full to mostly sunny location for the darkest foliage coloration and a well-drained, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Blackbeard Penstemon was selected not only for its foliage color but also for its compact habit and flower power. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 11904

Like a midnight sky Carolina Midnight Loropetalum is definitely one of the darkest that we have come across. Dark burgundy rounded foliage contrasts with the near red frilly flowers in spring. New growth emerges a light reddish maroon. Chinese Witch Hazel is a nearly indestructible evergreen and can be pruned to form or allowed to grow into a large rounded shrub. These are well-rooted, and nicely branched.  Item# 9947.

Red-tinge green arching foliage is borne in low, tight rosettes. The offsets of this variety cascade on arching stems from the mother plants creating a great hanging basket or allow it to spill from mixed container gardens. Easy to grow. Item# 2278.

A dwarf Loropetalum! The deep burgundy, purple, to near black foliage is accented by frilly bright cerise pink flowers in spring flowering a few weeks later than most Loropetalums and are so the flowers are less likely to get burned by a late freeze or frost. Cerise Charm™ Loropetalum, a.k.a Chinese Witch Hazel, is a new dwarf and compact selection that naturally develops into a dense rounded mound of dark foliage making this a great low-maintenance choice for small hedges, as accent plants, and even as a container specimens. Chinese Witch Hazel has few pests or disease problems when grown in an average to well-drained, acidic to neutral soil with average fertility in a full sun to partly shaded site. Images courtesy of Star Roses and Plants®, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12747

Bronze new growth on red stems quickly matures into large, dark green, glossy foliage with a serrated edge. Spring brings large clusters of white flowers that are followed by large red berries. A close kin of Red-Tip Photinia but with a more disease resistant disposition. Chinese Photinia has a moderate rate of growth and develops into a large evergreen shrub or small tree. Grow it as a specimen or as a hedge. Item# 10319.

In spring dainty 3-4" spikes of pink, Hyacinth-like flowers emerge from the soil to nestle among the often still unfurling rich green, burgundy pinstriped foliage. A winner in fairy gardens, rock gardens, in a border, or in containers! The tiny bulbs of Ledebouria quickly multiply and aren't picky about depth and will often be stacked one atop the other. Provide good drainage and average moisture in sun to light shade. Tough and easy yet dainty! 20+ bulbs/plants per pot. Item# 10466.

Foliage is splashed, streaked, and spotted with colors ranging from deep burgundy to a reddish-pink. A great splash of color from spring to fall.  item # 370

Deep rusty red, red, to burgundy foliage with fine rounded teeth is narrowly edged in starkly contrasting yellow to neon yellow and is sure to provide a summer long splash of hot and spicy color. Copperhead Coleus has a naturally full and densely branching upright to rounded habit, growing a little taller than wide typically. Its compact habit lends it to use as specimen container plants, in mixed container gardens, as well as to liven up the garden and landscape from spring to frost. Copperhead is both sun and shade tolerant and will generally have the deepest most intense coloration where it receives more than about 4 hours of direct sunlight per day. The colors will be only slightly muted in light shade where it leans more toward the rusty reds with a chartreuse to neon yellow edging. Copperhead Coleus won high marks in Penn State's 2021 Trial Gardens in both sun (4.79 out of 5) and shade(4.96 out of 5) containers. Images courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12945

The large, deep coppery red tropical-looking foliage is accented by random splashes, flecks, and patches in red, pink, and orange tones when grown in sunny conditions. In shade the colors are less intense and lean toward bronze, pink, green tones. Copperhead Copper Plant is a moderately vigorous selection with a naturally upright to rounded habit. This heat and sun-loving, naturally evergreen tropical shrub is well suited for use as a thriller in mixed container gardens, as specimen container plants, as well as for a tropical accent in sunny gardens and landscapes providing continuous color from spring to frost. Foliage colors often intensify as summer wanes and autumn approaches. Provide your Copperplants with an average to well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and health. Copperhead is very similar to Louisiana Red. Item# 12587

A CSU Trial Gardens 2020 Top Performer! The dark burgundy to near black, glossy foliage is to die for but wait it gets better as in late spring or early summer, tall sturdy spikes ascend above the dark foliage and are composed of lavender to purple, 1" long, nectar rich, tubular flowers that eventually develop into decorative dark purple round seed pods. DAKOTA™ Burgundy Penstemon, a flower child of Penstemon digitalis, is more compact than and has darker foliage than Dark Towers and Mystica Penstemons and it has more purple colored flowers and improved reliability easily surviving for 3 years in CSU's trials. Provide this easy to grow perennial, a nativar (a cultivar from native species), with a moist to average moist, well-drained, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny location for optimum vigor, flowering, and for the deepest foliage colors. Pair DAKOTA™ Burgundy Penstemon with chartreuse foliaged plants for a wonderful contrast. The flowers attract a variety of polliinators including hummingbirds, bees, and occasional larger butterflies. Photos courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc., www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12856

The huge 8-9" wide ruffled white flowers sporting darker pink veining with a dark burgundy eye shine like spotlights against the foil of dark burgundy to near black foliage and are produced throughout summer. A top performing selection, Dark Mystery Hardy Hibiscus is a vigorous and reliable clump forming perennial Hibiscus with a good branching habit. It is sure to be a star in almost any garden or landscape! Like most other Walter's Gardens introductions, Dark Mystery is an indeterminate plant producing flowers from the top to the bottom of the plants creating a knockout display in the garden and landscape. Provide a full to mostly sunny location in moist to average moist to wet, moderately fertile soils. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12060

Deep wine-red foliage provides a wonderful foil for the tall sturdy spikes of light pink tubular flowers in late spring and early summer attracting bees, hummingbirds, and the occassional butterfly. Dark Towers Penstemon, an offspring of Penstemon digitalis, was developed by Dale Lindgren at the University of Nebraska from his original selection of Husker Red. Dark Towers has darker foliage that keeps its color better through summer and it has pink flowers versus white on Husker Red. Provide this easy to grow clump forming perennial, a nativar (a cultivar from native species), with a moist to average moist, well-drained, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny location for optimum vigor, flowering, and for the deepest foliage colors. Pair Dark Towers Penstemon with chartreuse foliaged plants for a wonderful contrast. Images courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12469

The near black to dark burgundy, large, sagittate to near heart-shaped tropical foliage adorns the black to deep burgundy stems of this reverted form of the Pink Princess Philodendron. The Duchess of Burgundy Philodendron, Philodendron erubescens, is the non-variegated form of this species. It is a slow growing mounding to vine-like Philodendron and can be trained to a wooden support where its sturdy adventitious roots will attach to it. Provide an average moist, fertile, high quality, well-draining potting soil in high light for optimum vigor and color. During the warmer months of the year, when night time temperatures remain above about 60-65^oF, the Princess of Burgundy Philodendron can be enjoyed on a brightly lit porch or patio. Item# 11700

The wide, thick, low succulent arching silvery green foliage is spotted and speckled with large and small dark green spots. Leaves may be occasionally lightly to heavily variegated with white. Ledebouria is a bulbous perennial that produces small spikes of white hyacinth-like flowers in spring and summer that are held well above the intricately patterned foliage. An easy and forgiving window sill or patio plant, Ledebourias are native to the forests of Eastern Africa and multiply readily and quickly. Do not keep overly moist and provide sharp drainage. Multiple bulbs per pot. Item# 10989

One of the earliest to begin flowering and an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner! Clusters of lilac-pink tubular flowers are produced in abundance beginning in midspring and continuing into fall and are held against a contrasting foil of long-lasting showy deep bronze-red bracts and exceptionally dark green glossy foliage that takes on purple and bronze tones in winter. The flowers of Abelias attract a variety of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Edward Goucher Glossy Abelia, considered to be a hybrid of Abelia x grandiflora x A. shumanii, has a naturally dense, rounded to vase-shaped habit on this medium-sized, evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub. Abelias are known for their toughness and adaptability to a variety of soil types provided they have average or better drainage. Deer resistant, somewhat salt tolerant, and mature, well-established plants are moderately drought resistant. Provide a full sun to part shade site with moderately fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Long one of our personal favorites! Item# 3041

Deep red to bronze foliage on a bromeliad that multiplies readily creating a dense beautiful basket of medium-sized cascading plants. The Fire Ball Bromeliad, a type of Neoregelia, makes an easy low maintenance tropical-looking hanging basket plant or grow it as an epiphyte on wood or cork. The more intense the lighting is the more this Bromeliad looks like it is on fire! Item# 415

Won numerous Top Performer trial awards across the US in 2020 as an annual! The large tropical looking new foliage emerges a deep bluish green maturing to rich deep green with a matte finish and are held atop deep purple to near black stems. Heart of the Jungle® Elephant Ear or Colocasia is a naturally evergreen, rhizomatous tropical that acts like a die-back perennial in zones 8-9 returning from the roots and crown in spring. This cultivar does produce runners in late summer to fall which can be removed to prevent spreading it can also be enjoyed as a container plant. Be sure to dispose of any plant parts responsibly to ensure that it does not escape. Elephant Ears grow best in a moist to wet, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny site. Photos courtesy of Proven Winners©, www.provenwinners.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12883

Spikes of 1" blue to purple tubular flowers that are tipped with white on the lower two petals are produced over an extended period beginning in mid to late spring into late summer if moisture is adequate. Heartleaf Skullcap, Scuttelaria ovata, is a shade-loving rhizomatous groundcovering evergreen native perennial with heart-shaped foliage that emerges a purplish red to burgundy and maintains a tinge of that coloration even at maturity. This species is widely distributed throughout much of central and eastern US and extends into both Canada and northern Mexico. Heartleaf Skullcap is tolerant of dry shade once well-established which is one of the more difficult combinations for plants to thrive in. It will be most apt to flower longest under average moisture conditions. The flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and other garden beneficials. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 11979

The large rounded flower clusters, to 12" more across, are of composed of hundreds of dainty pinkish-purple flowers are produced in mid to late summer and into fall atop tall, sturdy, upright to arching, hollow, purple spotted stems with whorled, medium green, rugose foliage. Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium fistulosum but now classified Eutrochium fistulosum, is a long-lived, clump forming, deciduous, herbaceous, native perennial that is typically found growing along stream banks and in other relatively consistently moist areas but it does just fine under average garden conditions as well. Joe Pye Weed's nectar rich flowers attract butterflies and a variety of smaller pollinators including honeybees. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in a moist to wet to average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor, the sturdiest stems, and maximum flower production. Item# 475

The arrowhead shaped mainly solid colored foliage lights up with dark copper, red, orange, yellow, pink, and some green shades and can deepen to near purple in late summer, fall, and winter. Inferno Copper Plant has a naturally rounded habit on a compact well-branched plant growing to about 3' high and 3' wide making it a choice tropical for a medium-sized, heat and sunloving, low-maintenance container specimen or add it to the garden and landscape as an annual for a spring to frost show. In full to mostly sunny sites the foliage tends to be darkest and richest in copper, red, and orange shade and in shadier sites it may lean more toward the pastel lighter colors including green. Provide Inferno with a well-drained, fertile soil with average moisture for optimum vigor. A 2013 Classic City Award winner from the UGA Trial Gardens. Item# 12470

The green and burgundy foliage is spotted with white, giving the plant the appearance of having been snowed upon. An easy to grow tropical adaptable to sun or light shade.This is the taller, more spreading, and darker version, as compared to Breynia nivosa or Hawaiian Snowbush. Item# 472.