If you are looking for a subtle way to add a surprise pop of colour in your garden beds, these plants might be just the go!
The fluffy scarlet flowers of NZ Christmas bush, Metrosideros, are the real bright draw when it comes to garden colour, but one or two varieties have an extra surprise. Velvet Sky sports navy blue new stems (yes really!), while Mini Christmas (left) has super-scarlet stems for a very Christmassy feeling. The GOAT of bright stems has to be the Japanese maple, especially Acer Sango Kaku (right). It's not known as the coral bark maple for nothing - look at those bright stems!
Red Stem Surprises
The fluffy scarlet flowers of NZ Christmas bush, Metrosideros, are the real bright draw when it comes to garden colour, but one or two varieties have an extra surprise. Velvet Sky sports navy blue new stems (yes really!), while Mini Christmas (left) has super-scarlet stems for a very Christmassy feeling. The GOAT of bright stems has to be the Japanese maple, especially Acer Sango Kaku (right). It's not known as the coral bark maple for nothing - look at those bright stems!
You might not think of our native tea trees when it comes to surprise stem colour but one or two are hiding a secret. Leptospermum Lavender Queen and petersonii, both have deep crimson stems on new growth, very visible if you clip your tea tree bushes annually or more often.
Add a surprise touch of ruby red with these grassy-leaved plants :Kangaroo paws usually have apple green leaves and stems, but Anigozanthos Bush Joker has deep red stems to match its rich dark red flowers. Dianella Cherry Red takes the native blue flax lily, usually a strappy-leaved fountain of deep green, and gives it a vibrant twist of colour. Those stems really glow in sunlight, so plant them where the sun can shine through!
Cordylines are firm favourites in sub-tropical gardens for strong vibrant year-round colour, in reds, pinks, purples, and oranges; but they might be a little <>too colourful for some gardeners... Slender-leaved australis cordylines Peko and Sundance, with their subtle pinky-red stems and soft green leaves, give just enough interest to lift these plants out of the ordinary - without overpowering a subtle green garden theme.
Add a touch of scarlet with these indoor humidity-loving leafy plants :Begonia rex is known and loved for its colourful patterned leaves, but varieties like Begonia Arctic Breeze™ will give you double the colour with pink-red stems too. Homalomena Sunshine Gem is a rare and not-well-known indoor plant; but with those glossy lime leaves and bright rhubarb-pink stems it won't be long before its good looks make it popular.
Almost every plant lover knows the spider plant, with white-striped long strappy leaves. Very few plant-lovers know its cousin, the orange spider plant. Chlorophytum Green Orange glows in papaya and mango tones all the way along its broad stems and up its wide leaves.Philodendrons are firm favourites in sub-tropical gardens and indoor lounge rooms for vibrant year-round colour, in reds, pinks, purples, and oranges; especially in shadier places. Rojo Congo is just one philodendron that hides a secret in the shade - deep ruby red stems, even when young.
Alocasias are very fashionable indoor plants (and tropical garden plants), as their broad glossy leaves come in a wide assortment of shades, shapes, and silhouettes. They often have contrasting veins and ribs too, creating dramatic patterns.
What might get overlooked in all the leafy excitement are their beautifully patterned stems, which are already showing their colours in young tubestock, getting stronger and more defined as the plants grow to maturity.
Lauterbachiana has dark, shadowy, almost-black stems; while Morocco (right) stems are juicy musk pink, even when the plants are young.
Spotted Stem Surprises
Add some speckles and freckles and stripes with Alocasia Zebrina (left), probably the most strongly-striped stems in the Alocasia family; and Sarian, its huge leaves almost hiding its purple speckled stems.
Like bright socks with a business suit, all these plants appear conventional at first glance, until a closer look reveals hidden colour. So next time you're browsing for plants, take a peek at the plain ones - you might be surprised how secretly colourful they can be!
