Blue Leaf Plant Varieties for Home and Garden
The silvery-blue hue of certain plants is due to a delicate waxy coating. Learn how to choose and care for these varieties to preserve their unique, calming color.
Blue-leafed plants offer a cool, silvery-blue contrast to common shades of green, creating a sense of calm and sophistication in home and garden settings. Their unique coloration introduces a different visual texture and mood to a space. The rarity of this hue in the plant kingdom adds to its desirability, making these plants a point of interest.
The Science of Blue Foliage
The blue appearance of most plant leaves is not due to a blue pigment. True blue pigments are uncommon in foliage and are more likely to appear in flowers or fruits. The blue shade on leaves is an optical effect created by a layer of epicuticular wax, a powdery coating also known as a glaucous bloom.
This wax is composed of microscopic crystals that cover the leaf’s surface. These structures scatter light, reflecting the blue and ultraviolet portions of the spectrum while absorbing others, which the human eye perceives as a silvery-blue color. This waxy layer also serves a protective function, shielding the leaf from intense sun, repelling water, and deterring pests.
A less common reason for blue foliage is structural coloration, where the physical structure of the leaf’s surface scatters light to produce a blue appearance.
Popular Blue Leaf Houseplants
The Blue Star Fern (Phlebodium aureum) is a popular indoor choice, with elongated, wavy fronds that have a distinct blue-green tint. Its creeping rhizome and bushy growth habit make it an attractive addition to hanging baskets.
Pilea ‘Aquamarine’, a relative of the Chinese Money Plant, features round leaves with a silvery-blue sheen and maintains a compact habit perfect for desktops. For an architectural look, air plants like Tillandsia xerographica offer silvery-gray leaves that curl into a rosette.
Caring for these houseplants involves mimicking their native environments. The Blue Star Fern thrives in medium, indirect light, consistently moist soil, and high humidity. Pilea ‘Aquamarine’ prefers bright, indirect light and should be allowed to dry out slightly between waterings. Air plants require bright, filtered light and regular soaking or misting.
Striking Blue Leaf Outdoor Plants
Hosta ‘Blue Angel’ is a large perennial that forms a mound of heart-shaped, blue-gray leaves, adding bold texture to shady corners of the garden.
Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca) is an ornamental grass that grows in a neat, pincushion-like clump of fine, silvery-blue blades and is often used in rock gardens or as mass planting. The Blue Arrow Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum ‘Blue Arrow’) is a narrow, columnar evergreen with tightly packed, blue-green foliage that provides strong vertical interest.
The care for these outdoor plants varies. Hosta ‘Blue Angel’ performs best in partial to full shade with rich, moist, well-drained soil. Blue Fescue needs full sun to maintain its color and is drought-tolerant once established. The Blue Arrow Juniper also requires full sun and is adaptable to a wide range of soils, as long as they are well-draining.
Drought-Tolerant Blue Succulents
The world of succulents is rich with blue-toned, water-wise plants ideal for arid climates and low-maintenance gardens. Blue Chalksticks (Senecio mandraliscae) is a spreading groundcover with fleshy, finger-like leaves of a powdery blue, creating a cool-toned mat of color. Echeveria ‘Blue Bird’ forms tight rosettes of fleshy, silver-blue leaves that can take on pinkish hues at the edges when exposed to bright sun. For a more dramatic statement, Agave tequilana ‘Blue’ features large, sharp-tipped leaves of a pale blue-gray, forming an architectural rosette.
Their care is straightforward, revolving around plenty of direct sunlight and infrequent but deep watering, allowing the soil to dry completely between sessions.
Maintaining Vibrant Blue Color
Preserving the blue color of these plants requires specific care. The most important rule is to avoid touching the leaves, as the powdery waxy bloom is delicate and can be easily rubbed off, permanently removing the color from that spot.
Proper watering techniques are also important. Water the soil directly at the base of the plant rather than watering from overhead. This prevents water from washing away the glaucous coating. Using a watering can with a narrow spout or a drip irrigation system can help deliver water precisely.
Providing the right amount of light is also necessary. For most blue-leafed plants, ample sunlight helps the plant produce and maintain its protective waxy layer. Insufficient light can lead to a duller, greener appearance.