Multicolored Leaves

Consider ‘Cracklin Rosie’ ( Begonia hybrid ) officially electric: this cane begonia's fluted, pleated leaves emerge copper-bronze, then deepen into bronze or ease into olive-green depending on the light — brighter light keeps the bronze bold, softer light lets the green take over — with every leaf dusted in a galaxy of tiny silvery-pink spots. Turn a leaf over to discover a stunning contrast: a rich maroon backing that beautifully frames every wavy edge. Bred for drama, ‘Cracklin Rosie’ grows upright and full in bright, indirect light; let the top inch of soil dry between waterings and keep the humidity up, and its sparkling foliage will only get bolder.

Introducing Calathea ‘Rosy’ ( Calathea roseopicta ), a rose-painted prayer plant that earns its name in living color: oval, glossy leaves start pale, then deepen into a vivid rose-pink center framed by crisp dark green margins tinged with burgundy. Like its Marantaceae cousins, ‘Rosy’ folds its leaves up at night and opens them again with the morning light. This vibrant color is deepest on new growth; as ‘Rosy’ matures, expect the pink to soften toward silvery-green flecks while the dark-green framing holds steady. Give it low to medium light, water with distilled or filtered water to avoid leaf-edge browning, and let the soil stay evenly damp without drying out completely.

Every hand needs a ‘Queen of Hearts’ — this velvet-leaf cultivar (Anthurium hybrid) is the best card in the deck. New leaves emerge in deep red, bronze, and blush pink before maturing into a rich, near-black green, each one traced with pale, silvery veins for striking contrast. Upright and architectural, with long petioles holding each heart-shaped leaf aloft, ‘Queen of Hearts’ asks for bright, indirect light, high humidity, and water once the soil has mostly dried — just never let it sit wet. Deal yourself in for a royal flush of color.

Calathea 'Flamestar' ( Calathea ) lives up to the name, fanning out oval leaves brushed with warm, flame-toned patterning — the kind that earns a Calathea its star billing. Flip a leaf and you'll find a deep purple underside, the quiet contrast behind all that fire up top. Like other prayer plants, 'Flamestar' folds its leaves up at night and opens them again by morning, a small daily performance worth watching. Give it medium to bright, indirect light, evenly damp soil, and the higher humidity it craves, and this Calathea will keep putting on its show.

Meet Color Full® 'Helen Kennedy', a calathea ( Calathea dressleri ) patterned like a chessboard and named for the botanist who first described it. Its large, glossy leaves are laid out in alternating patches of deep and silvery green, an eye-catching checkerboard that flips to reveal a rich burgundy underside. Like other calatheas, 'Helen Kennedy' is a true prayer plant, folding its leaves up at night and opening them again with the light. Give it bright, indirect light, high humidity, and water once the top inch of soil dries, and this collector's gem will settle right into your collection.

Network News ‘Dispatch’ is the pink counterpart to Network News ‘Media’ with low-growing, creeping leaves of lime green with pink veining. Unlike most nerve plants, the pink veining on ‘Dispatch’ bleeds into the margins of the leaves, giving the appearance of a plant that is almost more pink than green. Like other Fittonias, ‘Dispatch’ loves bright light and humidity.

Cast in silver and dusted with frost, 'Lunar Mist' ( Begonia ) looks like it caught the moonlight and never let go. Thick, plump leaves are blanketed in a dense, velvety down that catches the light in a ghostly, mineral-silver sheen, while papery sheaths wrap each stem like tiny moonlit cloaks. This compact, semi-succulent begonia is tougher than it looks — give it bright, filtered light and let it dry out well between waterings, and 'Lunar Mist' will keep its frosted glow all year long.

Behold the beauty that is Prismacolor™ 'Brandtianum' ( Philodendron brandtianum ), a vining, heart-leaf philodendron whose dark olive-green leaves boast splashy, resplendent silver variegation. A true climber, 'Brandtianum' arrives on its own Climb-itt™ pole, ready to send out aerial roots and ascend; give it bright, indirect light to keep that silver marbling glowing, and let it climb — or train it to spill and trail over the edge of its pot instead.

Introducing Velvet Tapestry™ 'Malayan Gem' ( Episcia cupreata ), a genuine gem woven into our Velvet Tapestry™ collection. Fuzzy, velvet-soft leaves glow deep green with coppery veining and hints of pink and purple, edged in warm red-purple margins for extra richness. Left to its own devices, 'Malayan Gem' sends out trailing runners in every direction, so give it room (or a hanging spot) to wander. It thrives in bright, indirect light but tolerates a dimmer spot too, prefers high humidity, and likes to stay evenly hydrated — a terrarium or misty bathroom shelf suits it well.

Something wild is prowling through the understory — meet Velvet Tapestry™ 'Pink Panther' ( Episcia cupreata ), a flame violet with a coat as bold as its namesake. Velvety, bronze-to-deep-green leaves are marked with a lighter green pattern down the center of each, like brushstrokes across fur, and under the right conditions it can produce bright pink, trumpet-shaped flowers. As it matures, 'Pink Panther' sends out trailing stolons and will happily cascade from a hanging pot or shelf. Keep it warm, in bright indirect light and evenly damp soil, and water at the soil line — those velvety leaves resent water on their foliage.

Color Full® Veitchiana ( Calathea veitchiana ) earns its series name twice over. Each rounded, wavy-edged leaf carries a loose feathering of lime green and cream over deep green, with a rich burgundy underside. It's an upright, slow-growing clumper that rewards patience: give it medium, indirect light and keep it out of direct sun, which scorches the leaves; use distilled or rainwater to keep soil evenly damp, since ordinary tap water's fluoride can brown the leaf edges; and provide humidity above 60% to keep those brushstrokes sharp.

Meet 'Medallion V2' ( Calathea roseopicta ), an even more painterly encore to our classic Color Full® 'Medallion' — same round, medallion-shaped leaves, turned up a shade brighter. Each leaf carries a hand-brushed pattern of silvery green and cream, framed in a dark green border, with a wine-purple underside that folds skyward every night, prayer-plant style. Give 'Medallion V2' medium to low, indirect light and let the top inch of soil dry between waterings — never let it sit in water. High humidity keeps those brushstrokes crisp and its edges from browning.

Woven straight into our Velvet Tapestry™ collection, 'Pretty Turtle' lives up to both halves of its name: a softly fuzzy, velvet-leaved charmer ( Primulina dryas ) whose oval leaves are patterned in silver over green, with markings that echo a small turtle's shell. For years it was even sold across Europe under a borrowed name — Streptocarpus — but it's a true Primulina through and through, and every bit as endearing. Give it bright, indirect light and higher humidity, and let the soil dry slightly at the surface between waterings, and it may treat you to dainty, trumpet-shaped blooms in soft lilac to lavender — though this one's pretty enough in leaf alone.

Every regal collection needs a showstopper, and 'Princess "Black Rose"' plays the part in leaves instead of petals. This calathea ( Calathea ) earns its name with near-black foliage streaked in a vivid, hot-pink midrib and veining — as if brushed on with a single, deliberate stroke of paint. Like other prayer plants, its foliage folds up at night and unfurls again by day. Give this regal calathea bright, indirect light well out of harsh direct sun (which can fade its dark color), high humidity, and water once the top inch of soil dries, and 'Princess "Black Rose"' will reign over your plant collection.

Introducing Scented Roots™ 'Red Rubin' ( Alpinia luteocarpa ), a bamboo ginger built for a little drama: slender, lance-shaped leaves stay cool green on top and blaze a deep ruby-red underneath, the exact shade that gives 'Red Rubin' its name. True to its aromatic ginger roots, it grows in upright, cane-like clumps and may eventually send up creamy white flowers blushed with pink. Give it partial shade to bright, filtered light, an evenly damp and well-drained mix, and the warm, humid corner of your home it was born for, and it will reward you with color at every turn.

Say hello to 'Green Lady' ( Aglaonema hybrida ), a Chinese Evergreen with quiet, understated elegance. Its dark green leaves carry an intricate chevron pattern — pale, silvery-green bands radiate out from each midrib like fine embroidery, on glossy, leathery foliage with a dense, clumping habit. 'Green Lady' is easygoing too, thriving in low to medium light and needing only to dry out between waterings. A quiet classic, it's right at home wherever your collection could use a touch of refinement.

‘Feeling Flirty’ is a low maintenance, easy-to-grow Tradescantia or “inch plant”, brightening any space with its carefree, colorful charm, as it grows and “inches” along. Its trailing leaves are small, not more than an inch or two in length, and a lovely shade of pinkish-purple. Leaves have cool green stripes, almost as if they were hand-painted. If the light catches ‘Feeling Flirty’ just right, and if you look close enough, you will notice that the stems have delicate hairs that curl like lashes, and the leaves sparkle, almost as if they were dusted with pixie magic. ‘Feeling Flirty’ will be the perfect playful plant for spilling out of a container or hanging basket.

‘Tasmanian Tiger’ boasts large, dark green leaves with mottled yellow striping that mimics the majestic stripes of a tiger. Growing quite large over time, ‘Tasmanian Tiger’ has the potential to reign supreme over your collection–especially if it is given medium to bright light, consistent moisture, and warm temperatures above 60 degrees. This is an easy-to-grow variety, overall, but it does not like cold drafts. The common name for this plant is “dumb cane” because consumption of its sap may cause throat swelling & speechlessness, thus rendering one “dumb.”