Looking for some new greenery to add to your garden or home? Let’s look at some fantastic plants that start with L – lovely leafy green varieties. These selections offer a range of textures, sizes, and growing conditions, perfect for almost any space.
From towering landscape trees to delicate houseplants, ‘L’ plants bring lushness and life. This guide will help you choose, care for, and enjoy these leafy wonders.
Plants That Start With L – Lovely Leafy Green Varieties
This group includes both indoor and outdoor stars. Their foliage can be bold, feathery, or even colorful. Here’s a breakdown of some top picks.
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
Of course, lettuce is a classic leafy green. It’s a rewarding crop for beginners and pros alike.
* Types: Loose-leaf, romaine, butterhead, and crisphead.
* Growing Tip: It prefers cooler weather. Plant in early spring or fall.
* Harvest: You can pick outer leaves as needed for a “cut-and-come-again” approach.
For a continous harvest, sow seeds every two weeks. This is called succession planting and it ensures you’ll never run out.
Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)
This perennial is grown almost entirely for its incredible foliage. The leaves are incredibly soft, covered in dense, silvery hairs.
* Visual Appeal: The fuzzy, pale leaves provide excellent contrast in borders.
* Care: It loves full sun and well-drained soil. It’s quite drought-tolerant once established.
* Watch Out: It can rot in wet, humid conditions. Good air flow is key.
Kids love to touch its soft leaves, making it a fun sensory plant for the garden.
Ligularia
If you have a shady, damp spot, ligularia is your answer. It’s known for its large, often dramatic leaves.
* Leaf Shapes: Some varieties have large, rounded leaves, while others have deeply cut, jagged foliage.
* Flowers: It sends up tall spikes of yellow or orange flowers in summer.
* Needs: Consistent moisture is non-negotiable. It will wilt dramatically if it gets too dry.
Plant it near a pond stream or in a consistently moist garden bed for best results.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
This herb is part of the mint family and has bright green, crinkled leaves that release a lovely lemon scent when brushed.
* Uses: Great for teas, garnishes, and potpourri. It’s also a pollinator magnet.
* Growth Habit: It can be vigorous. Consider growing it in a container to manage its spread.
* Care: It tolerates partial shade but thrives in sun. It’s generally very easy to grow.
Harvest the leaves regularly to encourage bushier, more compact growth.
Liriope (Lilyturf)
Don’t let the grass-like appearance fool you. Liriope is a tough, evergreen perennial perfect for edges and ground cover.
* Varieties: Choose from solid green or variegated (striped) leaf forms.
* Reliability: It handles shade, sun, drought, and poor soil with remarkable resilience.
* Bonus: It produces small spikes of purple or white flowers in late summer.
It’s one of the most low-maintenance plants you can find. Just cut back the old foliage in early spring.
Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)
For indoor greenery, the Lady Palm is a top contender. It’s a slow-growing, multi-stemmed palm with fan-shaped, deep green leaves.
* Ideal For: Low-light indoor conditions where other plants might struggle.
* Temperament: It adapts well to typical home humidity and is generally pest-resistant.
* Care: Water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Avoid direct, hot sunlight.
Its elegant, clumping form adds a sophisticated, tropical feel to any room.
Leucothoe
This evergreen shrub offers beautiful foliage year-round. New growth is often colorful, and leaves may turn bronze or purple in colder months.
* Landscape Use: Excellent for shady foundations, woodland gardens, or mass plantings.
Popular Variety: Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Scarletta’ has brilliant red new leaves.
* Needs: Prefers acidic, moist, well-drained soil. Mulch helps keep roots cool.
It’s a fantastic way to add depth and color to shady areas where flowers might be scarce.
How to Care for Your Leafy ‘L’ Plants
While each plant has specific needs, some general principles apply to keeping them healthy.
1. Assess Light: Match the plant to your light conditions. Lamb’s ear needs full sun, while Ligularia and Leucothoe thrive in shade.
2. Water Wisely: Check soil moisture before watering. Leafy plants often like consistent moisture, but good drainage is crucial to prevent rot.
3. Feed for Growth: Use a balanced, general-purpose fertilizer during the growing season (spring and summer). Always follow label instructions.
4. Prune and Groom: Remove yellow or dead leaves to encourage new growth and improve air circulation. For herbs like lemon balm, frequent harvesting is the best prune.
Common Problems and Solutions
Even lovely leafy greens can run into trouble. Here’s a quick troubleshooting guide.
* Yellowing Leaves: Often a sign of overwatering or poor drainage. Could also indicate a need for fertilizer.
* Brown, Crispy Edges: Usually caused by underwatering, low humidity, or too much direct sun.
* Leggy, Sparse Growth: The plant isn’t getting enough light. Move it to a brighter location.
* Pests: Watch for aphids, spider mites, and slugs. For indoor plants, a gentle spray of water or insecticidal soap often works. For slugs, try diatomaceous earth.
Regular observation is the best tool you have. Catching a problem early makes it much easier to fix.
Designing with Leafy ‘L’ Plants
Think about how these plants can work together in your space.
* Texture Contrast: Pair the fuzzy silver of Lamb’s Ear next to the glossy, large leaves of a Ligularia.
* Layering: Use low-growing Liriope as an edge, with mid-height Leucothoe behind it.
* Container Gardens: Combine Lemon Balm with flowering annuals for a fragrant, textured pot. The Lady Palm makes a stunning standalone statement.
* Edible Landscaping: Use rows of frilly Lettuce to border a vegetable garden or even a flower bed.
Don’t be afraid to mix edible and ornamental varieties. They often look beautiful together.
Propagating Your Favorites
Many of these plants are easy to multiply, saving you money.
* Division (for Lamb’s Ear, Liriope, Leucothoe): In spring or fall, dig up the plant and gently pull or cut it into smaller sections, each with roots and shoots. Replant immediately.
* Stem Cuttings (for Lemon Balm): Take a 4-6 inch cutting, remove the lower leaves, and place it in water or moist soil. Roots should develop in a few weeks.
* Seeds (for Lettuce): This is the most common method. Sow seeds directly in the garden or in starter pots indoors.
Always use clean tools when dividing or taking cuttings to prevent spreading disease.
FAQ: Your Questions Answered
Q: Which plants that start with L are best for full shade?
A: Ligularia and Leucothoe are excellent choices for full shade. The Lady Palm also handles low-light indoor conditions very well.
Q: Are there any low-maintenance outdoor leafy plants starting with L?
A: Absolutely. Liriope (Lilyturf) is incredibly tough and drought-tolerant. Lamb’s Ear is also quite low-care once established, needing mainly good drainage and sun.
Q: I want a leafy ‘L’ plant for my kitchen window. What do you recommend?
A: Lemon Balm is perfect. It’s a handy herb for cooking and teas, loves a sunny window, and its scent is refreshing. Just give it a pot with drainage holes.
Q: Which of these leafy greens is the fastest growing?
A: Lettuce and Lemon Balm are notably fast growers under the right conditions. You can harvest lettuce leaves in just a few weeks, and lemon balm fills out a pot quickly.
Q: My Lamb’s Ear leaves look soggy and brown. What happened?
A: This is almost always due to too much moisture on the leaves or in the soil. Ensure it’s planted in well-drained soil and try to water at the base, avoiding the fuzzy leaves. Good air circulation is also vital.
Adding these plants that start with L – lovely leafy green varieties can bring new texture, color, and interest to your surroundings. Whether you’re growing food, filling a shady corner, or greening up your living room, there’s an ‘L’ plant ready to thrive. Start with one that matches your light and space, and enjoy the process of watching it grow.