Plants with darker foliage, like the lilac, provide contrast for blossoms.
Whether choosing plants for your garden or inside your home, certain visual characteristics help plants to stand out and form pleasing arrangements with other plants in your collection. Tall plants often serve as a backdrop, and dark green leaves provide a background that accentuates smaller, lighter-colored or flowering species.
Snake Plant
University of Illinois Extension educator Jennifer Schultz Nelson classifies the snake plant as an "indestructible houseplant." Also known as mother-in-law's tongue, the snake plant produces upright, spear-like foliage. Flowers bloom infrequently and are not showy. Although more than 70 species of snake plant exist around the world in varying sizes and hues, Sansevieria cylindrica is the most common type found for sale in the United States and grows to 3 feet tall with dark green leaves. Snake plants not only tolerate the stresses of an indoor environment remarkably well, they also purify the air of toxins. Nelson cautions only against overwatering, which can cause root rot.
Lilac
Be sure to select a cultivar with the desire foliage color.
The lilac is best known for the colorful, fragrant flowers that it produces in the spring. For the rest of the year, its dark green foliage functions well as a screen, hedge or border planting, according to the University of New Hampshire Extension. Lilac cultivars reach a range of heights, from medium-sized shrubs to trees. Lilacs are deciduous and shed their leaves in the autumn, so if you're looking for green color in the winter, they may not be the best choice for your landscape. However, some varieties do produce attractive cherry-red bark.
Palms
Indoor palms provide a tall, dark green plant that will attract attention in a room. Palm leaves vary in shape, resembling fans, feathers or even fishtails. Because they are tropical plants, however, palms do need some special care. They need access to sunlight throughout the year and careful watering to assure that they receive adequate water without overwatering and causing root rot. Palms also dislike drafts. A variety of palm species will grow indoors, but research carefully to be sure that you have enough room for the species you choose and that it produces the dark green foliage you want.
Arborvitae
Arborvitae provides dark evergreen foliage. Also known as the northern white cedar, arborvitae grows to varying sizes but is easily recognizable for its tall, upright growth habit. Although the arborvitae is an evergreen, it does not have the typical evergreen needle-like leaves. Instead, tiny scale-like leaves form over the branching twigs. Arborvitae grows well in a variety of soil types and requires little special care, making it a popular landscaping plant.
Related posts
Use twigs to make tall green centerpieces.Bouquet holders are plastic tools that surround a piece of floral foam used to make assorted floral creations. They feature a plastic handle for holding t...
When choosing plants, keep your hardy zone in mind.When choosing plants to grow near your pool, several factors come into play. You want plants that can handle excess water and will not wilt at th...
Feathery foliage creates less shade.Evergreens keep their foliage through the winter, making them appropriate choices for sites where shade, wind protection, sound-proofing or visual screening are...
Lake plants can help nourish animal life, oxygenate water and provide food.Aquatic plants help contribute to a healthy lake ecosystem. Benefits of lake plants include a source of food, nesting and...
Water lilies are often grown in water gardens.Aquatic plants suitable for growing in water gardens are divided into four types: floating leaved, marginal, floating and submerged. The most attracti...
