Suggestions for colourful foliage plant that can be kept small?

[Sandy Loam]

Hello PalmTalkers. I am seeking suggestions for a colourful foliage plant which can be kept to about 30-50 cm tall (maximum 2 feet tall; preferably about a foot tall).  Also, the plant must be evergreen in USDA zone 9a.

 

Thank you. I will look out for your suggestions.

 

[Sandy Loam]

...and, also, the plant must be extremely drought-tolerant. It will be in a planter beneath a roof overhand which is subject to neglect and underwatering.

Thanks. I will look forward to your suggestions.

 

[junglegalfla]

Bromeliads?

[Moose]

Crotons

[Sandy Loam]

Thanks for the suggestions. There are a few bromeliads which do fine in my climate, but most will suffer damage on our three ultra-cold nights each year.  Unfortunately, I am not a big brom fan --- especially of the cold-hardy ones, like red/painted fingernail bromeliads. 

I do love crotons but they are

borderline this far north in the peninsula.  Some winters are fine and others will melt them.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Silas_Sancona]

"Snow cap/ snow in summer" variety of asiatic jasmine/aka jasmine minima maybe?  Id have also suggested one of the variegated, lower growing forms of Carissa / Natal Plum but thinking it might not survive that far north. 

[redbeard917]

The overhang will provide some frost protection in winter, so zone pushing could be appropriate.

Have you considered Aucubas?

[redbeard917]

Also there are a bunch of different colourful dwarf cultivars of Nandina now.

[John Case]

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/516/

[Josh76]

10 hours ago, John Case said:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/516/

I thought about Persian Shield in response to this thread, but thought perhaps it would get cut back bad in cold spells.

[Sandy Loam]

I actually have some persian shield elsewhere in my garden, but they have never been tested in a bad winter. From what I can tell from online sources, it sounds as though I might be on the geographic line which divides those places where Persian Shield keeps its foliage all winter (to the south) and those places where it dies back in winter (to the north). In other words, I might be right on the borderline.

Everyone, thank you for the suggestions and please keep them coming!  Please also bear in mind that I need something extremely drought tolerant.  At the moment, I have Mexican Petunias in these planters, but they are not drought-tolerant enough to survive the neglect and rare waterings. They have wilted and die under their current conditions.  This winter, I have only had 70s-80s Fahrenheit so far, so their death is clearly due to neglect and dried out soil.

 

[John Case]

19 hours ago, Sandy Loam said:

I actually have some persian shield elsewhere in my garden, but they have never been tested in a bad winter. From what I can tell from online sources, it sounds as though I might be on the geographic line which divides those places where Persian Shield keeps its foliage all winter (to the south) and those places where it dies back in winter (to the north). In other words, I might be right on the borderline.

Everyone, thank you for the suggestions and please keep them coming!  Please also bear in mind that I need something extremely drought tolerant.  At the moment, I have Mexican Petunias in these planters, but they are not drought-tolerant enough to survive the neglect and rare waterings. They have wilted and die under their current conditions.  This winter, I have only had 70s-80s Fahrenheit so far, so their death is clearly due to neglect and dried out soil.

 

My foliage holds through the winter (as a rule) in a 9b environment.

[Sandy Loam]

 

After googling around, I have discovered that Persian Shield is not drought tolerant. Any other suggestions?  I am now thinking about some sort of 30-60 cm tall succulent which will stay narrow so that it won't topple these long and narrow planters.  Colour is no longer a necessity at this point. Thank you.

 

 

[Jeff Searle]

Plastic comes in all colors. Sorry...can't really be of any help with you being so north.

[Ben in Norcal]

What about Tradescantia pallida, building on the purple theme? Drought tolerant, supposedly grows fast, hardy to about 20F.  Just planted some in a very dry part of my yard, so we will see how they do!

[Sandy Loam]

Ben, that is a great suggestion. I have several patches of Purple Queen myself and they literally thrive on neglect.  My purple queens have done well in planters which I never water at all. They are extremely drought-tolerant and their foliage seems to be "evergreen" here, except in random, unusually cold winters. They even seem to keep their colour in shade, although it is less intense.  The best part is that they cost nothing at big box stores and are a dime a dozen.  My only hesitation is that they likely won't grow tall enough to hide a certain something ugly that is over a foot tall.  Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. If anyone has a suggestion for something taller than can be trimmed down to a foot high, that could work too. Thanks.

[WestCoastGal]

Do Anigozanthos (kangaroo paws) grow in your area or are you too humid there? I'm a similar zone but much less humidity and drier and the 'bush' short versions do very well here on little water, tolerate full sun. Very attractive and they come in a number of colors with leaves that stay green. They have a long-lasting bloom. Hummingbirds love them. Our bush rangers are in full bloom now. We have them planted in a bed next to the house and don't protect them. I know they like very well drained soil and if your overhang keeps your rain off of them I was thinking they might be a possibility for you.

[Bazza]

Dwarf Crown of Thorns

or Silk

:)

 

[Sandy Loam]

Thank you.