Copper plant (Photo by Allen Owings, LSU AgCenter)

Copper plants are great foliage plants for the summer and fall landscape.

When planted in spring, these beautiful tropical-looking small shrubs turn into fabulous accent plants in color beds as we get later in to the growing season. They prefer long, hot days.

One of the old common copper plant varieties in Louisiana is called Louisiana Red. It has red foliage on a 5-foot-tall plant. Other varieties have bronze, green, yellow, bicolored and tricolored appearances. Heights vary from 2-6 feet at maturity in the fall.

You can find many new varieties. They require full sun, limited irrigation and low fertility.

Copper plants can be perennials in zone 9A and south and annuals in zone 8B and north.

Allen Owings
Rick Bogren