17 Beautiful Teal Plants To Grow In Your Garden

Blue fescue is a small, low-growing ornamental grass that forms neat, spiky tufts of fine, icy blue-green foliage. It’s one of the easiest ways to add a pop of teal to a border or container.

Plant in full sun for the best blue colour. With too much shade, the foliage turns greener. It prefers well-drained soil and is quite drought tolerant once established, so water sparingly. Little to no fertiliser is needed. An annual light feed in spring is plenty. Trim back old growth in late winter to keep clumps tidy.

Agave is a striking architectural succulent with thick, fleshy, blue-grey leaves arranged in a dramatic rosette. Varieties like Agave americana or Agave parryi are popular for their strong sculptural shape.

Plant agave in full sun and very well-drained, gritty soil. They don’t like having wet feet. Water only when the soil has completely dried out, and reduce watering further over winter. Feed lightly with a cactus or succulent fertiliser once or twice during the growing season. Grow in a large container if your climate is too cold or wet over winter, so it can be moved undercover. I have my agaves in large planters with good drainage so they can handle some rain.

Echeveria are rosette-forming succulents loved for their neat, symmetrical shape and gorgeous range of colours, including beautiful dusty blue-green and teal varieties. They often produce sprays of bright pink or orange flowers that contrast wonderfully with the foliage.

Position echeveria in bright light or full sun for compact, colourful growth. Plant in a free-draining succulent or cactus mix and water only when the soil is dry, as echeveria are very prone to rot in soggy conditions. Fertilise sparingly with a diluted succulent feed during spring and summer. They’re perfect for containers, where you can group several teal varieties together like I have here.

Popular blue chalk sticks is a spreading succulent with finger-like, powdery blue-teal leaves that form a dense, frosty groundcover. It’s a fantastic low-maintenance option for softening the edge of a bed or trailing over the side of a pot.

Growing blue chalk sticks in full sun to part shade. Full sun brings out the strongest blue colour. Plant in free-draining soil and water only when the soil has dried out, as this succulent is very drought tolerant and prone to rot if overwatered. Fertiliser is rarely necessary, though a light feed in spring won’t hurt. Trim back leggy growth to keep it dense and compact.

There are many different types of sedum (also known as stonecrop), many of which have teal coloured leaves, particularly with new growth. Low growing sedum cultivars like sedum Blue Spruce (sedum reflexum) make ideal borders. Taller ones can look amazing planted on mass.

Sedums are easy to grow, needing free-draining soil and full or part-sun. Plant in full sun for the best colour and compact growth. Sedums are quite tolerant of dry conditions and don’t like to be waterlogged. Don’t overfeed as this can lead to leggy, less colourful growth. Trim back after flowering to keep plants neat and encourage fresh growth.

As well as the beautiful blue green foliage, sedums have beautiful starry pink, purple, yellow or white flowers in late summer through to autumn/fall. These colourful flowers go beautifully with the silvery blue-green leaves. They also attract pollinators like butterflies and bees to the garden. I have planted a border of sedum ‘Áutumn Joy’ along the path near the vegetable garden for just this reason.

Juniper is a hardy evergreen conifer that ranges from low spreading groundcovers to upright shrubs, many with attractive blue-green or silvery teal foliage and a lovely soft, scaly texture. This one is Junipererus chinensis Pyramidalis, a cultivar of Chinese Juniper often called the Pyramid Juniper. It has a beautiful teal blue colour and it’s tall pyramid shaped form is great for structural shape in the garden.

Junipers thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, and are very tolerant of poor soil and dry conditions once established. Water regularly while young, then only during extended dry spells. Feed once in spring with a balanced, slow-release fertiliser. Prune lightly to maintain shape, but avoid cutting back into old bare wood.

Juniper Blue Star (Juniperus squamata) is another juniper cultivar with teal tones. This one is slow growing, forming low round mounds. With pruning it can be kept as a low growing ground cover, or can grow up to 2 to 3 feet tall as a shrub.

Blue Atlas cedar is a majestic evergreen conifer with soft, silvery blue-teal needles, making it a stunning specimen tree for larger gardens. We have an absolutely enormous blue cedar in our yard which was planted by the original garden designer around 80 years ago. The towering branches appear to be different shades of teal, from silvery to deep blue-green, depending on the light.

Plant this stately tree in full sun in well-drained soil. Water regularly while young to help establish a deep root system, then reduce watering once mature, as it becomes quite drought tolerant. Feed in spring with a slow-release conifer fertiliser. Allow plenty of space, as this is a large tree at maturity, although weeping and dwarf forms are available for smaller gardens. (And keep in mind that the male cones on the Blue atlas cedar can release an enormous amount of powdery yellow pollen in early to mid-Autumn. )

Spruce is a classic evergreen conifer. Several varieties, including Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens), are prized for their striking silvery blue-teal needles. They make a wonderful structural feature in a larger garden. We have a very old blue spruce tree and I love the teal tones as a backdrop in our garden.

Plant spruce trees in full sun for the best needle colour and most compact growth. They prefer moist, well-drained soil and benefit from regular watering, particularly while young or during dry spells. Feed in spring with a slow-release conifer or balanced fertiliser. Allow plenty of room to grow, as most varieties become large trees over time. There are also dwarf cultivars that can suit smaller gardens.

If you don’t have the space for a tall teal confier, Hedgehog cedar is a great option for smaller spaces. It is a slow-growing, compact dwarf conifer with dense, spiky tufts of blue-green to teal needles, forming an irregular, mounded shape that’s full of character. Its small size makes it a great choice for rockeries, troughs and smaller gardens where a full-sized cedar wouldn’t fit.

This dwarf conifer needs full sun in well-drained soil for the best colour and tightest growth habit. Water regularly while establishing, then reduce to occasional watering during dry spells once mature. Feed in spring with a slow-release conifer fertiliser. Being naturally slow-growing and compact, it needs very little pruning . Just remove any dead or damaged growth as needed.

Adam’s needle is a hardy, architectural evergreen with stiff, sword-shaped leaves in a cool blue-green to teal shade, often edged with curling white fibres. It’s also known as a Needle Palm. This attractive yucca sends up tall spikes of creamy white, bell-shaped flowers in summer.

Plant Adam’s Needle in full sun to light shade and well-drained soil. This is another plant that’s very drought tolerant once established, so water only during extended dry periods. It rarely needs fertilising, and overfeeding can lead to floppy, less colourful growth. Remove old flower spikes and any damaged leaves at the base to keep plants tidy.

Hostas (also known as Plantain Lily) have many different cultivars of different sizes and shades, including pants with teal green foliage. Blue hostas have thick, rounded, deeply veined leaves in a soft, powdery blue-teal that hold their colour beautifully in shade. ‘Mouse Ears’ is a miniature perennial with beautiful teal leaves that makes a wonderful border in shade gardens or is equally at home in a container.

Hostas love part to full shade, as too much sun can fade or scorch the blue colouring. They prefer rich, consistently moist, well-drained soil, so water regularly, especially in dry weather. Feed in spring with a balanced fertiliser to support lush new growth. Watch out for slugs and snails, which love hosta leaves.

Eucalyptus, or gum trees, are Australian evergreen trees and shrubs loved for their rounded, aromatic, blue-green to teal foliage. This lovely dusty blue-green is often used in floral arrangements. Eucalyptus gunnii (cider gum) is a particularly popular variety for its striking teal-silver young leaves. Cider Gum is a large evergreen tree that will need a bit of space in a bigger garden.

Another favourite for floral arrangements is Eucalyptus Baby Blue (Eucalyptus pulverulenta). Baby Blue has attractive green-blue coin-shaped foliage with reddish stems and a lovely fragrance. It’s also a more compact variety of eucalyptus, that naturally grows into a shrub rather than a tall tree.

Eucalyptus prefer full sun and well-drained soil. They establish quickly and need regular watering while young, becoming more drought tolerant with maturity. Feed lightly in spring. For the most intense teal-coloured young foliage for floral arrangements, many gardeners hard-prune their eucalyptus each year to encourage fresh new growth.

For stunning bright teal foliage, rue is a great choice. This hardy herbaceous perennial has finely divided, almost lacy foliage in a striking blue-green to teal shade, topped with small yellow flowers in summer. Note that the sap can cause skin irritation in some people, so wear gloves when handling it.

Rue grows best in full sun in well-drained, even poor, soil. It only needs moderate watering, so you can allow the soil to dry out in-between. Fertiliser is rarely needed. Trim back in spring to encourage neat, bushy growth.

Sapphire tower is a dramatic, spiky bromeliad with arching rosettes of silvery teal-green leaves. When flowering it sends up a tall flower spike with extraordinary metallic turquoise blooms.

Plant this bromeliad in full sun with very well-drained, sandy or gritty soil. It’s drought tolerant once established, so water only occasionally and allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Feed lightly once or twice during the growing season with a diluted balanced fertiliser. Wear gloves when working near this plant — the leaf edges are sharply toothed.

A word of caution: those sharp, hooked spines along the leaves aren’t just tough on gardening gloves. In its native habitat, sapphire tower is known for snagging and trapping small birds and animals that get caught in the foliage while investigating the flowers. Position it well away from bird feeders, nesting spots or areas where pets and wildlife pass through, and avoid planting it where it could become a hazard to visiting birds.

Jade vine is a dramatic tropical climber famous for its long, trailing clusters of claw-shaped flowers in an extraordinary, almost glowing turquoise-teal. It’s a showstopper for warm climates or a heated greenhouse, though it can be tricky to bring into flower. I’d love to grow one, but sadly our climate just isn’t right.

Position jade vine in bright, filtered light with protection from harsh direct sun. It needs a sturdy structure to climb, as it can grow quite vigorously. It also needs consistently warm temperatures and humidity, so it’s best suited to tropical and subtropical gardens or a heated greenhouse elsewhere. Water regularly to keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged, and feed with a balanced liquid fertiliser through the growing season. Jade vine can be slow to establish and flower, so patience is key.

Sea holly is a striking perennial with spiky, thistle-like flowers and bracts in a metallic, silvery teal-blue, held above clumps of stiff, often blue-green foliage. It’s a magnet for bees and other pollinators.

Grow in full sun in well-drained soil. Sea holly actually prefers lean, slightly poor soil and dislikes being too rich or wet. Once established it is quite drought tolerant, so water moderately and avoid overwatering. Little to no fertiliser is needed, as overfeeding can produce floppy growth and fewer flowers. Leave the spent flower heads over winter for structural interest and to self-seed.

Blue star fern is a striking fern with broad, wavy-edged fronds in an unusual powdery blue-teal shade, growing from fuzzy, creeping rhizomes. This one just scrapes in to the teal category, but it definitely has dark blue-green foliage. It makes a fantastic houseplant or shaded container specimen and is a nice change from typical green ferns.

This fern prefers bright, indirect light. Too much direct sun can scorch the delicate fronds, while too little light will fade the blue colouring. Plant in a free-draining, chunky potting mix (an orchid mix works well) and water when the top of the soil feels dry, allowing it to drain freely. Feed monthly during the growing season with a diluted liquid fertiliser, and hold off over winter. Mist occasionally or sit on a pebble tray to boost humidity if growing indoors.