Fiji foliage provides bold color in the landscape

When you think of colorful foliage plants you might add to your landscape, you may target crotons, coleus, or even caladiums.    But what about the copperleaf?  Copperleaf shrubs today come in a surprising array of colors and leaf shapes that simply pop in the landscape.  Is there a copperleaf in your future?

Originally from Fiji and the general South Pacific region, copperleaf can grow upwards to ten feet tall and wide, but can be pruned to whatever shape is desired.  Used informally, the copperleaf is a relatively fast grower and makes a spectacular hedge or privacy screen with individual plants spaced three to five feet apart.  Besides the gorgeous leaves, copperleaf often develop fuzzy, cattail-like flowers from the leaf axils.  The best foliage color will be realized in full sun.  These shrubs will tolerate some shade, but may develop sparse branching in low light areas. Copperleaf can be cold sensitive, but any frost-nipped portions quickly re-sprout when warm weather returns.  The flamboyant copperleaf will benefit from wind and salty spray protection.   

While you may have only seen one or two cultivars of copperleaf, there are about twenty-six types available.  Dwarf cultivars such as ‘Blaze’ (with narrow maroon leaves )may only grow from three to five feet tall.  If you like a variety with rich copper-colored leaves try one called ‘Brazen’.  ‘Haleakala’ has dark maroon strangely twisted serrated leaves.  And for something different there is one called ‘Irish Petticoat’ with rounded green leaves edged with a serrated white margin.  Another beautiful white and green variety with large leaves is called ‘Java White’. In a similar vein, look for ‘Tahiti’ which totes large twisted green and yellow leaves.  The cultivar  ‘Mardi Gras’  takes the exotic look one step further with very narrow green, white and pinkish-orange leaves.  For one with thin leaves that change as the year progresses, try ‘Inferno’ .  ‘Inferno’ goes from red to red-orange and yellow over time. 

Copperleaf is incredibly easy to propagate from cuttings.  Propagating your own from cuttings obtained from gardening friends will help you increase your copperleaf collection over time.    So to enhance, or even provide a substitute for flowers, plants with colorful, textured leaves add a layer of splendor and interest.   The copperleaf, another Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ plant,  can provide these attributes and more!  For more information on shrubs suitable for our area,  please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Caldwell, D. (2015) Copperleaf Adds a Little Shine to the Landscape!.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Collier County.

Christman, S. (2004) Acalypha wilkesiana.  Floridata.com, Tallahassee, Fl.

Schmidt, E. (2015) Garden View: Copperleaf - Acalypha wilkesiana.  Harry P. Leu Garden. 

Gilman, E$. F.  (2014) Acalypha wilkesiana. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS