Landscape Plant Practical Illustrated Guide, Issue 2: 256 Species of Foliage Plants

Author: Xue Congxian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-04-01
Features: Plants with beautiful leaf shapes and colors that have ornamental value are collectively referred to as foliage plants. Foliage plants can also bloom, but their ornamental value often surpasses their flowering value. Foliage plants include both herbaceous and woody plants. The herbaceous plants are all perennial rhizomatous herbs, such as Aspidistra, Dieffenbachia, Philodendron, Scindapsus, and Syngonium. The woody plants are mostly shrubs or small tree-like plants, such as Zamioculcas, Calathea, Dracaena, Dieffenbachia, Calathea, Spathiphyllum, Dieffenbachia, Euonymus japonicus, etc.; a few are trees, such as Clitoria ternatea and Samanea saman, originally outdoor garden trees. Due to the attractive leaf shapes of their young plants, they are primarily grown in pots for foliage display and are therefore included as foliage plants. This book features 256 plant species, most of which are currently cultivated in South China, with a few being newly published varieties in China.
Most foliage plants are native to the hot, humid tropical rainforest regions, requiring low light levels. Under strong sunlight, they are prone to sunburn, dehydration, and wilting. They prefer scattered, soft, and diffused light with insufficient direct sunlight or partial shade. These plants have strong shade tolerance and are referred to as shade plants, making them suitable for indoor cultivation.