Someone has been adjusting the color in my garden. Several of my cherished dark burgundy and purple foliage plants have gone green. I am not happy with this development. Is it the heat? The relentless sun?
Stop laughing! Yes I garden in Portland, Oregon but it’s been hot, darn hot (mid to upper 90’s hot for days and days) and dry – very dry. My favorite weather guy is calling it a historic weather event. Is that what’s turning my brown eyes blue dark foliage green?
Some examples…we’ll start with Ajuga reptans ‘Black Scallop’, deliciously dark “then”…
But now rather green…
Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum ‘Hindwarf’ pretty purple…
And not so much…
Rodgersia ‘Bronze Peacock’ photo taken July 6, 2013…there’s a blush of color on the new foliage.
And July 6, 2015…no color (but lots of insect damage).
Thalictrum ‘Evening Star’ then…
Now…
Yucca desmetiana ‘Blue Boy’ (purple boy?)…
Chartreuse boy…
If the sun/heat isn’t to blame then I’m wondering if age has anything to do with the loss of color. All of these plants were new(ish) to my garden when their dark tones were evident. Are they settling in and losing their new plant attractiveness?
Finally, I’ll leave you with a new dark-leaf crush: Ligularia dentata ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’. That’s it up in the header image, photo taken in Toronto, Ontario in June. Look at those lovely leaves…
I think this is the same plant in a garden here in Portland, photo taken during our current heat-wave. Not quite as dark but still nice.
And just yesterday in another Portland garden…
So I guess it looks like I’m going plant shopping!