If you think red is the sole auspicious colour for the Lunar New Year, you will be surprised. Gold and silver are also colours because they are representative colours of the two precious metals, and hence signify wealth and prosperity. Sometimes yellow is used as an alternative to gold because of its similar hue.

On top of decking your home interior with a range of auspiciously-coloured ornaments, you can also consider using plants that are auspiciously coloured to to welcome visitors.

People are naturally drawn to and prefer the beauty of flowering plants over foliage plants. But we aim to change your perspective, to show that foliage can also be beautiful and can offer more lasting beauty than flowers.

Below is a selection of perennial plants; some are new plant introductions, while others are reliable favourites that can be used to liven up both the home interior and outdoor garden for the festive season. Unlike many festive plants that are imported from cooler climates for sale and display, the plants featured are suited for growing in the tropics and will survive far beyond the Lunar New Year to bring you joy all year round.

Just for the Lunar New Year, use your creativity and imagination to choose the right container to plant them and decorate them with the associated ornaments.

 

Plants with golden foliage

Variegated Firecracker Bush (Hamelia patens (variegated))

The variegated version of this shrub is a relatively new introduction.

Its festive-sounding common name comes from the appearance of its orange-red tubular-shaped flowers. The vibrant flowers  contrast nicely against the variegated foliage. Its leaves are edged with cream and new leaves at the tip of stems have an attractive red tinge.
Growing conditions: Best grown outdoors under direct sun and in fertile, well-draining soil.

Variegated Lime (Citrus x aurantiifolia (Variegated))

This highly-ornamental shrub produces edible fruits which can be used in the kitchen.

It features variegated leaves that are randomly splashed with yellow, and even the fruits are variegated! It is less vigorous and hence grows slower compared with the all-green version.
Growing conditions: A sun-loving plant is best grown outdoors in a container exposed to direct sun. A high-rise environment exposed to direct sunlight for six hours daily is recommended. Growing media should be fertile, aerated, well draining and moist.

Golden Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum var. hederaceum (Gold Form)

This is a relatively new gold-leafed introduction of the common all-green and variegated Heartleaf Philodendron.

Like the Golden Japanese Bamboo, grow the Golden Heartleaf Philodendron under good light so as to ensure the leaves remain golden yellow in colour. Young plants make excellent candidates for growing inside hanging baskets or they can be used as a foreground or groundcover plant in a shallow dish garden where the stems can grow and is allowed to trail over the edge of the container.
Growing conditions: Best grown under filtered sunlight for at least six hours daily and potted up in well-draining soil. An ideal plant for high-rise gardens.

Anubias barteri var. nana 'Gold' 

Looking for a plant to put in a terrarium or fish tank for display during the Lunar New Year? Look no further!

Try Anubias barteri var. nana 'Gold', which is a semi-aquatic plant that can only be bought from aquarium shops. It can be planted in the emersed form (leaves above the surface of the water) in a sealed terrarium or submerged inside an aquarium. An extremely slow-growing and low maintenance plant, it needs to be grown under good light so as to ensure the leaves remain golden yellow in colour.
Growing conditions: Best grown under artificial lights that are lit for at least eight hours daily. Grow this plant in aquarium plant substrate and do not bury the horizontal stem too deeply. It is sometimes tied to driftwood which allows the roots to find their own way into the substrate.

Plants with silver foliage

Silver Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus var. sericeus)
 
The Silver Buttonwood is a highly versatile plant that can be pruned to be a shrub or allowed to grow into a small tree. It is a highly resilient plant that tolerates waterlogged conditions and even brackish water. The silver-coloured leaves are densely covered with fine hairs.
Growing conditions: A sun-loving plant that is best grown in an outdoor garden with exposure to direct sun. It can be used as a focal point in the garden.

Episcia 'Silver Skies' 

This is the smallest Flame Violet cultivar available and makes a great candidate for growing in dish gardens, hanging baskets and large terrariums.

When well-grown, it forms a dense silver carpet. In addition to its attractive silver leaves, this plant produces dainty red flowers.
Growing conditions: Best grown under filtered sunlight for at least six hours daily and potted up in aerated, moist, well-draining soil. An ideal plant for high-rise gardens.

 

Tillandsia xerographica 

Tillandsia xerographica is a relatively large-growing air plant belonging to the pineapple family (Bromeliaceae).

Due to its large size, it is sometimes called the 'King' of air plants. It looks good even without flowers as it has an elegant growth habit where its silvery leaves are arranged symmetrically around the crown of the plant. A slightly-dehydrated plant will feature leaves with curly leaf tips.
Growing conditions: Best grown under filtered sunlight for at least six hours daily. Tillandsia xerographica is an epiphyte and can be either be perched on a branch or displayed on its own on a piece of driftwood. Suitable for high-rise apartment gardens and vertical gardens.

Silver Vase  (Aechmea fasciata)

Silver Vase is also a member of the pineapple family (Bromeliad).

Unlike Tillandsia xerographica, it is a tank bromeliad and has leaves that clasp together to form an urn at the base, which collects water and debris as a source of nutrients in its native habitat. It has strap-like leaves that are beautifully adorned with silver bands. Plants in retail outlets often come with beautiful pink inflorescences. Growing conditions: Best grown under filtered sunlight for at least six hours daily. It is an epiphyte and should be grown in a very open media like chopped coconut husk or fern bark chips. Flush the water in the center of the plant regularly to reduce the likelihood of mosquito breeding. Do not display this plant where there is high human traffic as the leaf edges have spines. Suitable for high-rise apartment gardens.

Plants with red foliage

Nautilus Plant (Nautilocalyx lynchii)
 
The Nautilus Plant is in the same botanical family as the African violet.

It adopts a compact growth habit and features attractive leaves that have a bright-red under-side and a bronze-red upper-side. When grown under optimal conditions, it produces yellow trumpet-shaped flowers between the leaves.
Growing conditions:  It is suited for container growing in a high-rise environment exposed to six hours of filtered sunlight daily. Growing media should be aerated, well draining and moist.

Beefsteak Plant (Iresine herbstii) 

The Beefsteak Plant is a fast-growing shrub with deep red leaves decorated with pink veins.

It confers instant visual impact to a garden or interior when planted en masse.
Growing conditions:  This plant is suited for container growing in a high-rise environment or outdoors in the ground. It is a sun-loving plant that demands direct sunlight and aerated, well draining and moist soil to thrive. Regular pruning is necessary to keep it bushy and looking its best.

 

Red Hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella)

This shrub features deep red leaves and produces the hibiscus-like flowers that have a dark eye in their centers.

Its leaves are shaped similar to those of the Maple and can confer an autumn look and feel to the garden.
Growing conditions:  Best grown outdoors under direct sun to ensure redness of leaves of the plant. Growing media should be fertile, aerated, well draining and moist.

Nerve Plant (Fittonia cultivars)
 
Numerous cultivars of the Nerve Plant, which has been a staple indoor plant in the nursery trade, are now available in a great variety of colours and sizes for plant lovers to choose from.

Highly versatile, choose the red-leafed, more compact-growing varieties for Lunar New Year-themed dish gardens. These plants have now become candidates for growing inside terrariums too.
Growing conditions:  It is suited for container growing in a high-rise environment exposed to six hours of filtered sunlight daily. Note that the lack of light will lead to spindly, unattractive growth. Growing media should be aerated, well draining and moist.

By Wilson Wong