Plant Life

15 Plants that Match the Pantone Color of 2023

See 15 landscape plants that match the Pantone Color of the Year for 2023, Viva Magenta, which embodies optimism, exuberance and joy.

The Pantone Color Institute, which forecasts colors for home decor, has selected Viva Magenta as the Pantone color of the year for 2023.

In its announcement of the color, Pantone says it is “a powerful and inclusive color,” “empowered and fearless,” and “a boundaryless shade.” The color is a “brave and fearless statement,” according to Laurie Pressman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

Viva Magenta, the new color of the year for 2023, is the embodiment of optimism, exuberance and joy. It is a bold, regal shade of red that draws on warm and cool tones. In addition to promoting unrestrained self-expression, the color promotes experimentation. The color’s natural origins include red cochineal, a type of natural dye derived from a small insect. It is also one of the strongest natural dyes.

The color is also a boundaryless shade, a dynamic fusion of pink and red. Rather than the electric hues of Barbiecore, Viva Magenta is a deeper, stronger color that encourages exploration. It is a spirited shade that can be found in the physical and virtual world. It will be available in fashion, home furnishings, and more.

The plants covered in this article were sourced from Gardenia, an online platform for landscape designers, horticulturists, and other landscape professionals to search a robust library of plants near them.

15. Dwarf Chenille (Acalypha reptans)

Dwarf Chenille (Acalypha reptans) is grown as a ground cover or in containers as a flowering houseplant. It’s a slow-growing plant that requires moderate care. Like many other groundcovers, it prefers full sun to light shade and grows best in Zone 10. It also works well as a hanging basket or as a trailing plant on a wall or trellis.

The red drooping catkins of this plant are very eye-catching, similar to the Pantone Color of the Year for 2023, Viva Magenta. It can be combined with other brightly colored flowers, or used as a backdrop to darker foliage plants in a rock garden.

In the right climate and growing conditions, this plant can be planted as a hedge or specimen plant. It is also an excellent choice for a container, where it can be trained to hang down over the sides of the pot. Putting it on a tiered plant stand can help to really show off its fuzzy, eye-catching flowers.

Hardiness: 9 – 11
Plant Type: Shrubs
Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest: Full season
Height: 1′ – 2′ (30cm – 60cm)
Spread: 1′ – 2′ (30cm – 60cm)
Water Needs: Average
Garden Uses: Groundcover, Beds and Borders, Patio and Containers
**Native to Florida

Landscape Architecture Books

14. Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)

Red Buckeye is a beautiful and hardy small tree or shrub that is very well adapted to the eastern United States. It can grow 10-20′ tall and wide but tends to be more shrub-like in shadier settings.

The most distinctive features of the plant are the large upright panicles of 1″ tubular red flowers, which appear in April and May. These flowers are similar to the Pantone Color of the Year for 2023, Viva Magenta. These flowers are followed by 1-3 shiny brown seeds in smooth, light-brown capsules that ripen in July and August. Although the fruit is quite attractive to squirrels, it should be avoided because it is toxic and causes kidney failure in humans if eaten. The acorn-like seeds are also poisonous to livestock.

Cultivation of the plant is fairly straightforward; it grows in part sun to full shade in moist but well-draining soil and is usually not bothered by many insect pests. It can tolerate drought conditions, but it will look better if it is watered regularly during dry periods. On very hot days, newly transplanted plants will sometimes wilt; this is nothing to worry about but the foliage should be shaded from direct sunlight or the plant moved to a protected area where it won’t be scorched by the afternoon sun.

Hardiness: 5 – 9
Plant Type: Shrubs, Trees
Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest: Spring, Summer
Height: 12′ – 15′ (3.6m – 4.5m)
Spread: 12′ – 15′ (3.6m – 4.5m)
Water Needs: Low, Average
Attracts: Hummingbirds
**Native to Midwest, Illinois, Missouri, Southeast, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Southwest, Oklahoma, Texas

13. Florida Hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa)

Florida Hopbush is a handsome shrub suitable for the landscape or used as a screen, informal hedge or espalier. It is tolerant of coastal conditions and drought. Its colorful foliage provides winter interest and the flowers attract a wide range of birds.

It is one of 90 species within the Dodonaea or soapberry genus, part of the Sapindaceae or soapberry family. This is a fast-growing, evergreen shrub that can reach 10- to 15-feet tall in the right conditions. The dark green to tinged reddish leaves similar to the Pantone Color of the Year for 2023, Viva Magenta, which have a resinous coating, which protects against water loss, making the plants drought tolerant. The leaves can be spatulate, oblanceolate or elliptic in shape and have margins that are either straight or slightly undulating.

When it comes to watering, the best approach is to decide how often to water your Florida hopbush based on soil moisture. The idea is to water until the top few inches of soil are moist and then allow the ground to completely dry out before watering again. In general, this should be done about every other week or so, but can vary depending on the season and your specific growing conditions for your Florida hopbush.

Hardiness: 9 – 11
Plant Type: Shrubs
Exposure: Full Sun
Season of Interest: Summer (Late), Fall
Height: 10′ – 15′(3m – 4.5m)
Spread: 10′ – 15′ (3m – 4.5m)
Water Needs: Low
Attracts: Birds
**Native to Southeast, Florida, Southwest, Arizona

12. San Miguel Island Buckwheat (Eriogonum grande var. rubescens)

Buckwheats are a great choice for drought-tolerant gardens. They have a dense mounded form, do not need facer plants in front and bloom all summer long. They prefer full sun, but will grow in partial shade as well. They are fairly easy to grow, although they can be a bit finicky in the first year or two after planting. They require little to no water in the garden, and do best with a light pruning in fall. They re-seed very easily.

This buckwheat mixes well with California natives and other drought tolerant plants, such as Catalina Cherry (red flowers), Pride of Madera (blue flowers), Lion’s Tail (orange flowers), Island Sage (yellow or purple flowers), and Ceanothus. It also creates a striking contrast with bright yellow and orange flowers, including California poppies, apricot mallow, golden yarrow, and flannel bush.

Hardiness: 8 – 10
Plant Type: Shrubs
Exposure: Full Sun
Season of Interest: Spring (Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height: 6″ -2′ (15cm -60cm)
Spread: 2′ – 3′ (60cm – 90cm)
Water Needs: Low
Attracts: Birds, Butterflies
**Native Plants to California

Online Courses in Landscape Design

11. Coralbean (Erythrina herbacea)

Coralbean is a hardy native shrub that is popular for its bright red tubular flowers, similar to the Pantone Color of the Year for 2023, Viva Magenta, that are a favorite of hummingbirds. It is a cactus-like plant that can be pruned or shaped into a small tree and is suitable for a dry garden or for use in a wildflower garden. This is a very easy plant to grow and requires little care, but there are some important considerations to keep in mind when planting this showy flowering native.

During the growing season, it is drought-tolerant and can take full sun to part shade. It does best in rich soil, but it is also tolerant of sandy, well-draining soil. It is moderately salt-tolerant and can grow in seaside locations.

Coral bean is an easy-care plant and it doesn’t need much fertilizing. However, if you want to boost its initial growth, apply a balanced fertilizer in the spring. Pruning is also a good idea during the growing season to help shape the shrub and control its size, but be careful when handling the stems as they have thorns.

Hardiness: 8 – 11
Plant Type: Shrubs, Trees
Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun Spring (Early, Mid, Late)
Season of Interest: Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height: 6′ – 12′ (180cm – 3.6m)
Spread: 3′ – 6′ (90cm – 180cm)
Water Needs: Low
Attracts: Hummingbirds
**Native to Southeast, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Southwest, Texas

10. Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)

Ocotillo is a tall, spiny desert plant that adds intrigue to any drought-tolerant garden. This plant is a bit of a trickster – for most of the year it looks like a bundle of dry brown sticks, but with a good rain small rounded leaves sprout. Soon after, the tips of its branches blaze with clusters of tubular red flowers, a sure sign that hummingbirds are passing through.

Click here to read “10 Drought-Tolerant Landscapes on the West Coast”.

Ocotillo is easy to grow, though patience is required when transplanting as it can take six months to two years for the plants to become fully established. It is best planted in early spring, ideally in an open sunny spot with stony well-drained soil. Overwatering can harm it, so water sparingly until the plants are established.

Hardiness: 8 – 11
Plant Type: Cactus – Succulents, Shrubs
Exposure: Full Sun
Season of Interest: Spring (Early, Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall, Winter
Height: 8′ – 20′ (240cm – 6m)
Spread: 5′- 10′(150cm – 3m)
Water Needs: Low
Attracts: Hummingbirds
**Native to California, Southwest, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

9. Rio Grande Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena haageana ‘Strawberry Fields’)

The Rio Grande Globe Amaranth, Gomphrena haageana, is a tender perennial that is often treated as an annual north of Zone 9. This showy, heat-loving flower is a favorite with bees and butterflies and is a natural for the cutting garden. A member of the Amaranthaceae family, it features a profusion of rounded blooms described as clover-like or pompom-like in shape with tiny “true flowers” peeking through a colorful array of papery bracts. This showstopper flowers all summer until the first frost and is a mainstay in many cottage gardens.

When planting, make sure the soil is well-worked to a depth of 12 inches or more as the long taproot can get quite deep. Soil acidity should be tested to determine if amending is necessary, and watering is best done at the soil line, not overhead. These are heat tolerant, drought tolerant plants and will thrive in full sun. A little light fertilizer is beneficial, although if overfed, the plant will become more foliage than bloom.

Hardiness: 9 – 11
Plant Type: Annuals, Perennials
Exposure: Full Sun
Season of Interest: Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height: 1′- 2′ (30cm – 60cm)
Spread: 1′ (30cm)
Water Needs: Average
Attracts: Butterflies
**Native to Southwest, New Mexico, Texas

8. Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora)

Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) is a perennial succulent that blooms in Summer, producing a long spike of beautiful flowers. A wonderful accent plant or specimen container plant, it is a popular addition to country, ranch, Southwestern, Spanish/Mediterranean, and California Native landscapes. It is also often used in xeriscape designs, making it easy to fit into most planting zones and climates.

In general, Red Yucca plants thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. They require minimal watering, but should be fed with a slow-release fertilizer once per season. They tend to be resistant to rot, although it is possible in poorly drained soil or if the plant is left too dry for too long.

The skins of a Red Yucca are thick and waxy, allowing the plant to store water in a way that prevents evaporation. During winter, the plant requires much less water than during warmer weather; however, it is important to mist the leaves and flowering stalk occasionally to ensure that the plant stays moistened.

The red colorful flowers, similar to the Pantone Color of the Year, Viva Magenta, of the Red Yucca are highly attractive to hummingbirds, which is one reason why they’re known as hummer yuccas. After the spike of flowers has faded, the plant produces seed pods that enclose many flat black seeds. It is easy to collect these seeds for propagation if you wait for the pods to fully mature on the plant before cutting them off and breaking them open.

Hardiness: 6-11
Plant Type: Cactus – Succulents, Perennials
Exposure: Full Sun
Season of Interest: Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height: 3′ – 5′ (90cm – 150cm)
Spread: 4′ – 6′ (120cm – 180cm)
Water Needs: Low
Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds
**Native to Southwest, Texas

Landscape Designer Tools

7. Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)

Winterberry is a deciduous holly that produces persistent red berries that are attractive to birds and small mammals. The plant is an excellent choice for a variety of landscape settings, including native, bird, pollinator and winter gardens as well as children’s, low maintenance, and pond areas. It can also be used as a hedge or in a foundation planting.

Common winterberry plants are adapted to a wide range of soil conditions, but prefers acidic, moist soils that are slightly alkaline in pH (5-6). They grow best in full sun, but will tolerate some shade. They are also fairly tolerant of drought, although they do require moisture at other times of the year, especially during flowering and when the weather turns cool. The best irrigation method is to provide a steady, deep watering rather than a series of short, shallow soakings.

Hardiness: 3 – 9
Plant Type: Shrubs
Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest: Spring (Early, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall, Winter
Height: 6′ – 10′ (180cm – 3m)
Spread: 6′ – 10′(180cm – 3m)
Water Needs: Average, High
Attracts: Birds, Butterflies
**Native to Midwest, Illinois, Indiana, lowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, Northeast, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Southeast, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Southwest, Texas

6. Scarlet Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

Scarlet Bee Balm is a native wildflower that is often found in shady woods generally along stream banks and thickets, Scarlet Bee Balm flowers are an eye-catching delight to hikers who frequently encounter this perennial wildflower during the summer months.

Its bright red tubular, similar to the Pantone Color of the Year, Viva Magenta, red flowers are arranged in dense terminal clusters and are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies especially fritillaries. The blooms can also be used to make a refreshing herbal tea that provides a blushing pink color to the drink.

Bee balm is a good companion plant for a number of other native and cultivated plants in the garden, including Penstemon digitalis, Echinacea purpurea, and Veronicastrum virginicum. However, it is prone to powdery mildew which can be reduced by adequate moisture, thinning for air circulation, and selecting mildew resistant cultivars.

Hardiness: 4 – 9
Plant Type: Herbs, Perennials
Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest: Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height: 2′ – 4′ (60cm – 120cm)
Spread: 2′ – 3′ (60cm – 90cm)
Water Needs: Average, High
Attracts: Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
**Native to Midwest, Illinois, Indiana, lowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, Northeast, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Pacific Northwest, Oregon, Washington, Southeast, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

5. Red Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum)

Red Flowering Currant is a deciduous shrub that produces an abundance of rose-colored flowers in spring. They form nodding clusters that can cover stems up to 1.2 m (3.9 feet). In late summer, the flowers are replaced by dark purple-black berries that are enjoyed by wildlife. This is a versatile native plant that thrives in a wide range of soil conditions. The berries can be eaten fresh, made into jams, or dried for a tasty snack. Its foliage turns rich hues of yellow and red in fall, and its branches provide winter cover for small mammals and birds.

Red-flowering currants grow best in full sun locations but can also tolerate part shade. The more sun they receive, the better they will bloom and the more rounded their growth habit will be. They are adaptable to a variety of soil types but prefer rich, well-draining, slightly acidic soils. They will even thrive in dry, rocky sites and are drought-tolerant once established.

Red-flowering currants are very easy to grow and require little care. They are fairly resistant to disease and insect pests and have been known to self-sow readily. Regular pruning after flowering promotes vigorous growth and prolific blooming. If you would like to propagate your plants, take softwood cuttings in late spring or early summer from the current season’s new growth, or hardwood cuttings during dormancy in late fall or winter.

Hardiness: 6-8
Plant Type: Shrubs
Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest: Spring (Eary, Mid), Fall
Height: 5′ – 12′ (150cm – 3.6m)
Spread: 5′ -12′ (150cm – 3.6m)
Water Needs: Average
Attracts: Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
**Native to California, Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

Landscape Architecture Books

4. Great Burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis)

Great Burnet is a perennial herb native to the Northern Hemisphere’s cooler latitudes. It’s a fine choice for meadow, vegetable and herb gardens and can also be used as a filler in flowering shrub, perennial and ornamental grass gardens. This plant adds a sense of drama to the late summer garden when its airy panicles of dark red “bottlebrush” flowers open on thin stems above the foliage. This plant is deer resistant and attracts European large blue butterfly caterpillars.

Sanguisorba officinalis requires consistently moist soil for best growth. In its first few years of life, or when it is transplanted to a new growing location, Great Burnet may require more water than usual because it will be investing a lot of energy into sprouting new roots. Water this plant whenever the soil begins to dry out, but be careful not to overwater as this can lead to root rot and other diseases.

Hardiness: 4 – 8
Plant Type: Perennials
Exposure: Full Sun
Season of Interest: Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Height: 2′ – 3′ (60cm – 90cm)
Spread: 2′ – 3′ (60cm – 90cm)
Water Needs: Average
Garden Uses: Beds and Borders
**Native to parts of the United Kingdom, parts of the United States including Alaska, California, Midwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northeast, Maine, Pennsylvania, Pacific Northwest, Oregon, Washington

3. Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia ‘Daina's Delight’)

A Pitch Plant is a slender, urn-shaped traps of this tropical plant lure insects with color, nectar, and a distinctive scent. They have smooth surfaces and downward-pointing hairs that prevent the insect from climbing out, and the fluid inside contains digestive enzymes. Once the insect is trapped, decomposition provides the pitcher plants with essential nutrients.

Pitcher plants are among the largest carnivorous plants, with some reaching five feet tall and pitchers up to a foot in diameter. They produce one solitary, nodding flower on a long, leafless stalk up to two feet tall. The flowers are scented or unscented and appear in early spring, before the pitchers open. They are usually red, similar to the Pantone Color of the Year for 2023, Viva Magenta, but can also be a variety of colors such as white, yellow, purple, and copper.

Hardiness: 6 – 8
Plant Type: Perennials
Exposure: Full Sun
Season of Interest: Spring (Mid, Late), Summer
Height: 1′ – 3′ (30cm – 90cm)
Spread: 1′ – 2′ (30cm – 60cm)
Water Needs: High
Garden Uses: Bog Gardens, Ponds and Streams, Rain Gardens
**Native to parts of Southeastern United States

2. Cardinal Catchfly (Silene laciniata)

Cardinal Catchfly (Silene laciniata) is a clump-forming perennial with brilliant red clusters of flowers, similar to the Pantone Color of the Year 2023, Viva Magenta, that seem to bloom forever and attract hummingbirds. It’s a very showy plant and deserves more attention in the garden. This is a native herb that can grow in most conditions, but does best with a bit of supplemental water during dry periods. It develops a deep taproot and can do the disappearing deciduous-plant thing in summer dormancy that may make you think it’s dead but it will return next spring. It’s a good choice for a rock garden or for a container that gets a late summer dry rest period.

Unlike most Silene species, this one does not self-pollinate and must be cross-pollinated by insects that visit the flower through its small opening. To do so, they need to have a long proboscis or tongue and be able to insert their mouth parts into the narrow tube to access the nectar inside. That excludes most flies, beetles and bees, who prefer to rob the flowers for their own food.

The Cardinal Catchfly also makes a great container or accent plant in the garden. It will not be bothered by much in the way of weeds and can even tolerate fairly moist soil, especially where it is growing naturally along creeks or the edges of ponds and streams. It is also a good plant for a rain garden or in an area that tends to flood. As a general rule of thumb, it will need to be watered about once per week in the garden when it is actively growing.

Hardiness: 6 – 9
Plant Type: Perennials
Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest: Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid)
Height: 1′ – 2′ (30cm – 60cm)
Spread: 2′ – 3′ (60cm – 90cm)
Water Needs: Low
Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds
**Native to California, Southwest, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

1. Fire Pink (Silene virginica)

‘Fire pink’ is a low mounding taprooted perennial herb with basal leaves and upper cauline leaflets that are sessile and smaller than the lower ones. It grows in open rocky wooded slopes, woodland margins, calcareous or shaded bluffs and limestone or sandstone cliffs and ledges throughout eastern North America. It tolerates controlled burns, and reseeds in favorable sites. It also can persist in sites undergoing a gradual vegetative change, but declines if the canopy becomes too dense.

It is listed as a species of concern in Wisconsin and Florida, and threatened in Michigan. It is also considered a plant of special interest in Ontario. Two recognized varieties are known. The majority of plants are cultivated as Silene virginica var. virginica, while there is an endemic variety from west Virginia called Silene virginica var. robusta.

Hardiness: 4 – 8
Plant Type: Perennials
Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest: Spring (Mid, Late), Summer (Early)
Height: 1′ – 2′ (30cm – 60cm)
Spread: 10″ – 2′ (25cm – 60cm)
Water Needs: Low
Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds
**Native to Illinois, Indiana, lowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, Northeast, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Southeast, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Southwest, Oklahoma