By Justin Hancock, Costa Farms Horticulturist
Photographs Courtesy of Costa Farms
Silver plants are on trend indoors and out. See six of or favorite silver-leafed houseplants to add elegance to your home décor.
One reason silver-leafed plants are trendy is that they go with everything. Silver is considered a neutral color in design because it goes with everything. It helps tone down hot colors like red, orange, and yellow, and it’s a complement to cool colors like blue, pink and purple. Indoors, it also has a brightening effect as it reflects a bit of light.
Aglaonema Silver Bay
One of the very best houseplants for beginners, you can grow Silver Bay Aglaonema pretty much anywhere as a houseplant. While it’s incredibly durable, it’s also gorgeous. Each medium green leaf has a silver center that feathers out toward the edge.
Light: Low to bright
Water: As the top 50% or so of the potting mix dries
Humidity: Over 30%
Alocasia reginae
Beautiful and hard to find, but easy to grow, Alocasia reginae sports big elephant-ear style leaves (to more than 12 inches across) that bear a surprise. They’re silver on top, but burgundy red below. This makes it a showstopper for bright desks and tabletops.
Light: Medium to bright
Water: As the top 25% or so of the potting mix dries
Humidity: Over 45%
Alocasia Silver Dragon
One of the smaller Alocasia species available, Silver Dragon sports thick, almost plastick-y leaves that are light silver and veined in a contrasting shade of silvery green. This selection holds up a little better to drying out than other species, making it perfect for gardeners who might have had trouble with Alocasia in the past.
Light: Medium to bright
Water: As the top 25% or so of the potting mix dries
Humidity: Over 40%
Scindapsus Moonlight
A stunning climbing/trailing houseplant, Scindapsus Moonlight bears heart-shaped green leaves with silvery feathering between the midrib and the leaf margin. The effect is subtle. Happily, this slow-growing houseplant tolerates a wide range of conditions, so anyone can enjoy its beauty.
Light: Medium to bright
Water: As the top 25% or so of the potting mix dries
Humidity: Over 40%
Silver Streak Pothos
Golden Pothos has earned a reputation for being one of the easiest houseplants around. Silver Streak Pothos is a cousin that’s just as easy to grow, but sports long, narrow leaves streaked with silver. It looks best when allowed to climb a support and the leaves get larger.
Light: Medium to bright
Water: As the top 25% or so of the potting mix dries
Humidity: Over 40%
Succulents
There are a variety of low-water succulents that have silvery foliage. This coloration adds style, but also helps them in their natural habitat as it reflects excess sun from the foliage. A couple of our favorites include Echeveria (shown here) and Panda Plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa)
Light: Bright
Water: As the top 75% or so of the potting mix dries
Humidity: Over 30%
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Although the garden feels like it’s winding down, there is an opportunity to begin something new: next season’s flowers. For an interesting article on the topic, click here .
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