Foliage Ups and Downs

‘Fluffy Ruffles’

We’ve mentioned in the past how foliage plants are valuable design tools that carry us through the down time between waves of flowering plants. Unlike blooms that eventually whither and die off, attractive leaves tend to retain their interest throughout the season. Today we're talking about two very different types of foliage plants: ‘Fluffy Ruffles’ fern and ‘Spike’ dracaena.

Compact, fun and fluffy

‘Fluffy Ruffles’ combines a compact habit with fun, fluffy texture. While it’s popular for adding a tropical flare to indoor displays, we like to use this variety as groundcover, edging, or in the semi-shaded border; it forms an attractive clump and tolerates the heat and humidity of summer. Plus, as opposed to many other ferns, ‘Fluffy Ruffles’ reproduces by underground rhizomes rather than by spores so it’s easier to cut back and keep from spreading.

Ruffles spill down elegantly from hanging baskets

Notice how the long triangular fronds flow gracefully up and out of a hanging basket. Even though it’s a relatively short plant, at times we still use this fern to add vertical interest to a design by hanging it overhead and letting the ruffles spill down elegantly, like we do with the more rounded ‘Bolivian’ wandering Jew we discussed last week.

Add height

‘Spike’ is another tropical-looking foliage plant that has long been popular for interiorscapes, only with a more dramatic, edgier appearance: it's very tall and pointy. Lance-shaped leaves have pretty white or pink margins and reach about 2 feet tall, so we use this variety to add height and architectural interest to a display.  

Versatile

As you might expect from a plant called ‘Spike’, it’s not fussy about soil or sun, though partial shade is better in hotter areas. Simply set this thriller in the middle of a container or toward the back of a border and fill in with lower growing or trailing plants, like colorful Cabaret calibrachoa. We find that ‘Spike’ adds just the right amount of drama without overwhelming a design, which is probably why this plant has remained so popular for so many years.

‘Fluffy Ruffles’ comes in the 10-inch hanging basket. ‘Spike’ is available in the 1-gallon pot.