10 Sculptural Plants for a Modern Garden

Gardening trends are moving towards all things tropical, and the sleek towering leaves of canna plants are enough to transport you to an island paradise. Plant them en masse to hide an unsightly wall or garage, or behind some medium-height shrubs to draw the eye upwards.

One of the most low-maintenance plants out there, sedum is a mainstay of any modern garden. Whether you choose a low-growing variety for a groundcover, or a taller type such as the sexy dark-stemmed Matrona, the beauty of sedum is that it will thrive with practically no irrigation.

Every modern garden needs a touch of wild grass. While there’s an overwhelming array of options out there, you can’t go wrong with a simple sedge. Try Carex ‘Amazon Mist’ for an easy, clump-forming green grass with slender blades that shimmer in afternoon sun.

The modern Western garden wouldn’t be complete without the classic Agave americana (at the far left). A century plant will reward patient gardeners in just ten short years with a towering 15-foot flower stalk. For the rest of us, agave puts on enough of a show right from the get-go.

The green and white variegated ‘Tasmanian Tiger’ Euphorbia characias adds a structural point of interest to the modern garden. To keep your euphorbia growing strong, prune old stems down to the ground in early summer and look for new growth later in the season.

Cotinus, or smoke tree, is one of those rare plants whose foliage is attractive year-round, yet it spoils us with an extra show in the late summer when its large clusters of flowers fade and huge billows of smoke-like hair appear. For an extra-modern twist, try the green ‘Golden Spirit’ variety.

A popular genus within the cactus family, prickly pear (or Optunua) is often more cold-tolerant than is commonly believed. This characteristic makes it a great option in a broad range of sub-climates, and it’s a fun choice for a statement piece in an otherwise boring corner of the modern garden.

Widely known in the cut flower world, silene’s balloon-shaped flowers add a bit of intrigue to the modern garden. Also known as catchfly, it comes in a range of white, red, and magenta blooms. Seek out a pure white variety to pair nicely with a sleek slate walkway.

The allium family encompases a wide range of stunning, sculptural plants that add great texture and pops of color to the garden. We’re particularly charmed by the oversized Allium Schubertii, whose flowers often grow up to two feet in diameter and which could easily be mistaken for a sea creature.

The beauty of Chasmanthium latifolium (northern sea oats) is that they offer a lovely show throughout a long season in the garden. In spring their soft green grasses sway in any light breeze, and by early summer they’ve formed delicate green oats that fade to a shining bronze come fall.