Above: Dracaena ‘Limelight’ shines in a patio planter with coleus, fuchsia and impatiens.

The hot plant for January isn’t a plant at all. It’s a color — chartreuse. Chartreuse goes with just about every other color and never fails to brighten up a dark room on a dreary winter day. Fortunately, there are a number of excellent new houseplants that shine brightly in chartreuse.

Vines and basket plants include Philodendron ‘Neon’ and Pothos ‘Neon’, both nearly identical, not only in name but habit and tough-as-nails hardiness. Philodendron ‘Moonlight’ is a non-vining philly good for pots.

For larger plants, the new dracaenas are hard to beat including ‘Limelight’ and ‘Lemon Surprise’. Even the old standby umbrella plant now comes in chartreuse — Schefflera ‘Amate Soleil’. These can all make the trip outside to a shady spot when the weather warms.

Schefflera ‘Amate Soleil’ is a bright new twist on umbrella plant.

Common Name: Corn plant, philodendron, pothos and schefflera

Botanical Name: Dracaena, Philodendron, Epimedium, Brassaia

Varieties/Cultivars to Look For: Dracaena ‘Limelight’, D. ‘Lemon Surprise, Philodendron ‘Neon’, P. ‘Moonlight’, Epimedium ‘Neon’ and Brassaia ‘Amate Soleil’

Color: Foliage is various shades of chartreuse

Blooming Period: Flowers are insignificant

Type: Tropical houseplants

Size: 8 to 48 inches

Exposure: Just about anywhere in the house, shady spots outside in summer

How to Plant: In pots

Soil: Well-drained loose mix

Watering: Keep moist in summer, a little drier in winter

When to Prune: When needed

When to Fertilize: Spring and summer — do not overfeed

In Your Landscape: Patio containers or porches

(From Ohio Gardener  Volume I Issue I. Photography By Chris Baker.)