Pink is versatile across the landscape, from pale and blush neutrals to bright and hot magenta. The shades blend into various garden styles and color schemes, from pastel shades to complementary blues, oranges, yellows, and red hues. Monochromatic garden themes evoke Victorian-era romance using multiple hues in the rose family.
From subtle variegation, speckles, mottling, and blotches to solid neon, fuschia or rose-hued foliage lends a lovely blush, a playful accent, or an exciting focal point. It adds calming appeal or energetic warmth. Incorporate plants with pink leaves to complement the arrangement and add a little pizazz through contrast and visual interest.
Coleus ‘Pink Chaos’
It is a versatile option, perfect for any garden.
Coleus brings dynamic foliage to the annual display in a tapestry of colorful combinations. Its adaptability and “filler” habit make it versatile for use in the garden bed and endless container planting combinations. It’s one of the best annual plants with pink leaves in various unique patterns.
The name ‘Pink Chaos’ says it all about a bright fusion of fuschia, green, and creamy white. Dominated by the heat of the intense hue of the leaf center with paint-splattered splotches, this selection mixes up the display in a blast of color.
The shade-loving Kong series features huge leaves and rosy tones for high contrast. ‘Salmon Pink’ has feathery light salmon venation amid deep rose red undertones and bright green margins.
Coleus needs regular water to thrive, and those in full sun require more than those growing in the shade. Light purple bloom spikes accent coleus in late summer; pinch blooms and trim leafy stems if plants get too tall or sparse to promote lush foliage and a tidy appearance.
Sweet Potato Vine ‘Pink Frost’
This variety won’t take over any neighboring greens.
Ornamental sweet potato vine trails with lush, broad leaves in lime green, purple-black, or variegated. Long stems cascade to spill over containers and border edges.
‘Pink Frost’ is a cooling selection with mint green leaves splashed with creamy white and lilac. It’s a less vigorous grower among the vines and won’t overtake nearby plants or sprawl out of control.
The painterly look of ‘Pink Frost’ contrasts nicely with cool-toned blooming annuals. They’re highly versatile, easy-care plants that tolerate periods of dryness. The large leaves wilt in intense heat and rejuvenate with regular water. Trim leggy vines to promote fullness and new growth.
Alternanthera ‘Brazilian Red Hots’
Its color grows more vibrant with abundant sunlight.
Alternanthera gives a tropical pop of foliar color with leaves from ruby red to deep purple to chartreuse. Leaf shapes add textural interest and range from rounded to threadlike on dense forms.
‘Brazilian Red Hots’ energizes the landscape with magenta and reds that get brighter with more sunlight. This tough annual thrives in heat and humidity. Its mounding habit is ideal for mixing into the border or container planting.
‘Party Time’ brings a delicate texture and glossy leaves with contrasting rich green and swaths of fuschia. Each leaf looks like it’s dipped in paint.
Alternanthera grows best in evenly moist, organically rich soils. Place it in full sun to partial shade, with more sunlight for optimal coloration.
Gaura ‘Flamingo Pink’
It thrives in soil with good drainage.
A graceful perennial, gaura features a leafy base with airy blooms that float on wiry, wanding stems. Gaura lends a delicate look with white or fuschia-colored flowers dancing amidst neighboring plants.
‘Flamingo Pink’ is a cultivar of with compact, mounding foliage and a swirl of bright flowers. The leaves are reddish with dark red buds.
New foliage emerges with blush overtones. ‘Passionate Blush’ is another variety of gaura, with the same compact form and blush flowers on burgundy-red stems.
Gaura grows best in full sun and tolerates heat and humidity. Good drainage is essential for best health. Allow guara to dry out a bit between waterings. It flowers beautifully from spring through frost, especially with deadheading spent stems.
Hypoestes
They are ideal in containers and window box planters.
The fun little tropical polka-dot plant Hypoestes isn’t limited to houseplant status. It also adds a splash of color and interest to the border and container or windowbox planting.
Petite in form, Hypoestes has numerous hybrids of speckled foliage, including pink with green spots and the reverse with a green base. Pair them with impatiens, caladiums, and begonias for a shady sensation.
Pinch back plants if they become leggy to retain a full form. Grow them outdoors as annuals or overwinter them indoors on a sunny windowsill.
Tiarella ‘Heronswood Mist’
The deep color intensifies with the cold.
This dainty foamflower is a naturally occurring selection from China. It features fuzzy, bright green leaves and light flower spires in spring. The “misty” leaves have a dusting of creamy speckles with blush tinges that intensify in cool weather.
‘Heronswood Mist’ is a diminutive variety whose coral-colored stems rise well above its low, mounding foliage. Attractive leaves are broad and shallowly cut with large lobes. The blush shades carry through the whole plant, from rosy flowers to stems to stippled foliage.
Tiarellas are low-maintenance plants that tolerate deep shade. Given consistent moisture and a shady spot to grow, tiarella enchants with multi-season interest and easy care.
Epimedium ‘Pink Champagne’
They have varying berry hues that often attract attention.
Epimediums are low-growing, compact perennials with colorful foliage with dramatic mottling, blotching, and venation, as well as orchid-like flowers with delicate spurs. ‘Pink Champagne’ brings rose tones to the shade garden.
Flowers have long white spurs with blush and deep raspberry centers. Like ‘Pretty in Pink,’ this epimedium features light and deep berry tones for a bit of woodland sparkle.
Long, lanced semi-evergreen leaves have dark purple speckles and a pinky-red blush, more prominent with new spring leaves. Plants clump and spread two to three feet.
‘Pink Champagne’ is a recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. Its wands of airy flowers appear in open sprays in mid to late spring.
‘Pretty in Pink’ is another blushing variety in berry hues of rose and pastel from its flowers to its leaves. Blooms on upright stems have pale spurs, deep-colored backs, and rose centers. Bright green heart-shaped leaves have bronze rose patterning. The leaves drop late in the cold season, providing multi-season interest.
Epimediums are tough, carefree beauties that resist deer, pests, and diseases and tolerate deep shade and dry soils when established. Their shallow roots make them well-suited to planting beneath trees, where they don’t compete for resources.
Loropetalum ‘Jazz Hands Variegated’
It blooms jazzy flowers during spring.
Loropetalum, or Chinese fringe flower, has attractive rounded leaves, usually in glowing shades of deep purple and dark green. A member of the witch hazel family, loropetalum features clusters of strappy, fringe-like blooms in magenta, red, or white in the spring.
‘Jazz Hands Variegated’ brings speckled leaves with dark blooms in a mounded habit. New growth emerges white and pink and transitions to deep purple and green as it matures. This variety is the first variegated loropetalum. ‘Jazz Hands’ (original variety) is a dwarf specimen with rosy purple leaves and berry undertones.
Loropetalum is a low-maintenance shrub that adapts to a variety of well-draining soils. Plants seldom need trimming but you can prune for shaping after they finish flowering.
Abelia ‘Suntastic Pink’
It attracts various pollinators.
Abelia has color-changing, glossy, evergreen foliage and delicate blooms that entice pollinators. Small, pointed leaves line woody stems. Dainty tubular flowers cluster on the tips of stems from summer until frost.
‘Suntastic Pink’ is an improved dwarf variety with bold sprays of green and ivory foliage and rich cerise margins. A profusion of light-colored flowers is long-lasting. ‘Confetti Pink’ is another compact selection with sparkling pink, green, and white leaves.
Abelia is disease, pest, and deer-resistant. The rugged, waterwise shrubs withstand heat, humidity, and dry conditions.
Cordyline
It has distinct leaves with vibrant red hues.
Cordyline has dazzling pink leaves, making this tropical plant a striking accent in containers, as an annual, or as a houseplant. Rich in color and pattern, cordyline’s broad, symmetrical leaves on sturdy, upright stems give it an architectural form. The leaves are long and glossy, enhancing the dramatic effect of its wash of color of fuschias and reds.
Cordyline australis offers long, strappy leaves in colors like ‘Electric Pink’ and ‘Pink Passion.’ These cordylines are a fountain of blades and color, perfect for container centerpieces that last until frost.
Heuchera ‘Pink Panther’
Its deep color stands out in any garden.
Heuchera, or coral bells, have green, purple, bronze, black, red, or orange foliage in mottled tones with contrasting veins. Cultivars include electric and muted hues with metallic or dusky finishes.
‘Pink Panther’ emerges in metallic and ages to deep berry tones with dark veins. Every bit of the plant, from flowers and calyxes to stems and leaves, bears the deep, rosy raspberry finish.
‘Wild Rose’ is a deep purplish with charcoal venation and rosy floral sprays in mid-summer. ‘Berry Smoothie’ carries shades of raspberry with orange and red notes. Leaves age to a mellow dusty rose.
Heuchera needs rich, organic, well-draining soils for the best vigor. They’ll grow in full shade, though growth may be slower and pigment not as rich.
Caladium ‘Pink Beauty’
Their decorative leaves have lovely colors and patterns.
Caladiums enliven the annual display with distinct arrow-shaped leaves in decorative patterns and colors. Easy to grow from tubers, these foliage plants quickly fill up garden pockets and containers. They make striking sweeps of color in mass plantings.
Of all the plants with pink leaves, narrowing down the selection is a happy challenge. ‘Pink Beauty’ is an intermediate-height caladium with bubblegum markings, creamy white splotches, and a true green background.
‘Carolyn Wharton’ is a classic variety in preppy tones with rosy veins and dark green edging. ‘Sweetheart’ has heart-shaped leaves with deep fuschia and carmine surfaces with green margins.
Caladiums need consistent moisture for quick growth. They’ll develop a spathe flower that’s less showy than the foliage. Cut off the bloom to direct energy to the leaves.
Rex Begonia ‘Jurassic Pink Shades’
They look great from afar but have remarkable details when viewed up close.
Rex begonias add unique foliage to shady garden areas and are perfect for adding up-close detail. Their intricate leaves have prominent veins and margins and red undersides.
The Jurassic series features large, cut leaves for high contrast and textural interest to fill out containers or annual plantings. ‘Pink Shades’ has dark berry rose interiors with a pronounced mahogany margin. ‘Pink Splash’ has a dollop of magenta surrounded by silvery surfaces with dark green veins.
Rex begonias prefer high humidity and regular moisture, erring on the dry side between watering sessions. When new growth begins in spring, fertilize plants with a slow-release organic selection.
‘October Daphne’ Stonecrop
It is a succulent that tolerates warm climates well.
Sedum, or stonecrop, is a heat-tolerant succulent with unique foliage for multi-season appeal. October daphne is a darling little sedum with rounded leaves and a low, spreading habit. Blue-green leaves have bright edges that intensify in the summer heat.
In late summer, little flowers emerge among color-transitioning leaves. In the fall, hues of pink, orange, yellow, and red are vivid.
Stonecrop thrives with neglect. It’s drought-tolerant and needs well-draining soil to thrive. The late-season flowers are a food source for bees and butterflies.
Canna ‘Pink Sunburst’
It has multiple varieties with different colors.
Canna lilies add bold, tropical flare in stature, flower, and foliage. They make stately focal points in beds or containers with plenty of tonal leaf variations.
‘Sunburst Pink’ is a Plant Delights introduction similar to the popular ‘Bengal Tiger.’ While ‘Bengal’ has yellow and green striped leaves with orange blooms, ‘Sunburst Pink’ has a rosy foliar cast and blush flowers. ‘B. Marley’ has wild pigments in an all-over red, magenta, yellow, and orange glow.
Canna withstands periods of drought, heat, humidity, and excess moisture. They may naturalize in optimal growing conditions. Divide or cut rhizomes to control their spread or grow them in pots.
‘Tricolor’ Sage
This sage variety has velvety leaves with hints of pink.
Sage is a perennial herb favorite known for its fresh, earthy scent and velvety leaves. ‘Tricolor’ sage has pink-tinged and purple new growth among minty-green leaves with white margins. The pink-streaked leaves of this sage plant are a swirl of color and have the same culinary uses as other varieties.
Sage is a Mediterranean plant that thrives in medium to dry soils—even poor ones—as long as they have excellent drainage. It struggles in overly wet conditions.
Coprosma ‘Pink Splendor’
Their leaves tend to be glossy, showing off unique hues.
Coprosma, or mirror bush, produces foliage in a flash of colors. The vibrant, high-gloss leaves pack dense, compact branches.
‘Pink Splendor’ is a kaleidoscope of pink, green, and gold, especially showy in cool temperatures. ‘Waxwing’ has multicolored leaves in warm reds, oranges, yellows, and hints of magenta.
Coprosma thrives in warm conditions and is drought, wind, and salt tolerant. It’s well-suited to container plants that overwinter indoors.
Weigela ‘My Monet’
This ornamental shrub is attractive to different pollinators.
Weigela harkens on old-fashioned gardens with flowering hedgerows. It’s an ornamental flowering shrub with modern selections in varying sizes and colors.
‘My Monet’ has ivory and white variegated foliage with pink tinges. The trumpet flowers flush profusely in late spring, attracting hummingbirds and other pollinators.
Weigela is generally disease-free and easy to grow in full sun. It does best in medium-moist soils.
Ornamental Oregano
Its leaves and flowers go well together.
Ornamental oregano is a perennial herb in the mint family, grown not for its culinary flavor but for its attractive, aromatic foliage and flowers. The plant leaves are light green, whorled around stems in a lovely arrangement, often with pink or purple tones.
‘Kent Beauty’ receives the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit with long-lasting purplish bracts, silvery foliage, and a low-growing habit. ‘Kirigami’ is also low-growing, with a weeping habit ideal for hanging baskets. Light purple and lilac tones brush the highly fragrant leaves.
Once established, ornamental oregano is drought tolerant. Plants appreciate supplemental watering during dry spells to avoid drying out completely.
Asiatic Jasmine ‘Snow-N-Summer’
It develops white leaves with hints of rosy hues.
A lovely tricolor vining groundcover, ‘Snow-N-Summer’ has new growth that emerges in sweet rosy hues. The leaves transition to pure white and then green with white variegation.
The evergreen vine produces small white flowers in summer, but the unique foliage steals the show.
Asiatic jasmine is hardy and drought-tolerant. ‘Snow-N-Summer’ spreads, but not as aggressively as its straight species relatives. It thrives with neglect, needing little gardener intervention except to tidy up edges.
Iresine
It has an intense color that grows more vivid with sun exposure.
Bloodleaf is a popular bedding plant for its bold red leaves with magenta mid-ribs and veins. A standout in a grouping or as potted accents, Iresine has glossy, notched foliage that intensifies in sunlight.
A recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit, bloodleaf is easy to grow and low maintenance. Trim or pinch stems to retain a tidy form. Bloodleaf performs best in rich, moist, well-draining soils.
