Woodland Foliage Combo of Red Maple, Golden Hosta, and Japanese Forest Grass

Elegant, classy, low-maintenance—what's not to love above this fantastic foliage combination? This easy-to-recreate and easy-to-care-for garden vignette looks great from spring to frost. Early in the season, when the emerging foliage is fresh and young, the scene is especially bright with starkly contrasting red and yellow foliage. As the seasons progress, the colors tone down a bit and the overall scene remains stylish and sophisticated until Fall, when the Japanese maple turns red-orange and the golden grass takes on tawny tones, a pleasing contrast to continue the show.

Substituting a similar hosta and/or a different dwarf red leaf maple would yield comparable results. Taking it one step further, you could add all-season interest by subbing an evergreen contributor for the grassy yellow texture.

For more tips on making substitutions in our plant combos, read our blog post here.


Growing Conditions

Zone: 5, 6, 7, 8
Exposure: Open Shade, Filtered Sun, Morning Sun, Part Shade, Part Sun
Water Needs: Average, Regular / Even

Design Considerations

Style: Asian Influenced, City and Courtyard, Northwest Eclectic, Woodland
Features: Zippy Color Contrasts, Fabulous Foliage, Low Maintenance, Uses Easy-to-Find Plants
Focus: Mixed Border, Pleasing Seasonal Flow, Small Space
Seasons of Interest: Spring, Summer, Fall, Three Seasons of Interest

Care and Maintenance


Maintenance Level: low



Plants In this Combo