Читать книгу Stitching Pathways - Jack Kramer - Страница 13

Smooth, pointed leaves can make a plant look majestic and elegant. Plants with this type of leaf are ti plant (Cordyline terminalis), yuccas, and dragon tree (Dracaena concinna). The large agaves and Trichocereus, or Echinopsis, cacti are dramatic living sculptures. Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa) brings the jungle indoors, and Chinese fan palm (Licuala grandis) is formal.

A plant with large leaves can look bold and make a dramatic statement. For example, rubber tree (Ficus elastica) and fiddle-leaf fig (F. lyrata) need to be displayed in a large room. In a smaller room, a plant that has more slender leaves, such as butterfly palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), with its airy, fountainlike fronds, is more appropriate. Palms, which are so often associated with tropical designs, are versatile, blending beautifully with both contemporary and traditional settings. Plants with scalloped leaves, such as some philodendrons, are often more decorative than plants with straightedged leaves because scalloped leaves tend to look more graceful.

Leaf textures of various houseplants include (left to right) begonia, pilea, and plectranthus.