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‘Black Beauty’ is my new favorite elephant’s ear. A mutation of ‘Illustris’, ‘Black Beauty’ is grown for its 2-foot-long, 1-foot-wide, dark purple leaves with green stems and green veins. Once established in my garden, this plant held onto its leaves through the heat and drought of summer in full sun, which is unusual for the dark-foliage forms of elephant’s ears: They tend to look less than lovely when temperatures rise above 90°F.
-Adrienne Roethling, Elephant's Ears, Fine Gardening issue #148, page 61

'Coffee Cups' is an unusual and relatively recent introduction. It has nearly black stems and  cup-shaped leaves. 'Coffee Cups' is a vigorous grower, and, with a height of 6 feet, it's a good choice for the back part of a border. -Andy Cabe, Regional Picks: Southeast, Fine Gardening issue #120

When breeder John Cho combined a black Colocasia and a glossy Colocasia, he created something shiny and new: ‘Diamond Head’. It is named after the volcanic cone on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, which makes sense because both the cone and plant are black and lustrous. The plant’s leaves reach at least 16 inches long and 1 foot wide. ‘Diamond Head’ performs best along the edge of a pond or submerged in a water feature. If left in dry conditions, its leaf edges burn. In shade, it loses luster and appears dark green instead of purple or black. That purple-black color is what makes ‘Diamond Head’ so special, so if the light conditions in your garden don’t suit it, you might want to choose another cultivar. -Adrienne Roethling, Elephant's Ears, Fine Gardening issue #148, page 60

Bright green leaves add light and impact any place 'Elena' sets its roots.

This chic, black-stemmed elephant’s ear packs looks great in containers, beds, and borders. It also makes a wild addition to floral arrangements.

A demure egg-shell finish and a dark purple underpinning make the foliage of 'Heart of the Jungle' special.

The foliage of ‘Hilo Bay’ looks almost like crinkled taffeta hanging off black stems. Planted en masse, this selection makes an elegant yet whimsical statement.

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The heart-shaped leaves of 'Illustris' are huge, and their dark highlights are stunning. This elephant ear is a lover of moist shade, but does best with a little dappled sunlight. It will tolerate boggy conditions. -Julia Jones, Fine Gardening issue #120

You must grow this plant—if only to be able to tell everyone that you have a mojito waiting for them in the garden. Its green leaves are set off by dark flecks and purple stems. The speckled patterns, splotches, and streaks vary from leaf to leaf, so no two ever look quite the same. ‘Mojito’ makes a thrilling addition to perennial beds, where its exotic form and color will add more surprise and interest than any other shrub or perennial you might have considered putting in its place. -Adrienne Roethling, Elephant's Ears, Fine Gardening issue #148, page 58

Kitchen garden rhubarb doesn't hold a candle to 'Rhubarb' elephant's ear, at least not in an ornamental sense.

This purple-and-cream-streaked elephant's ear makes a splash in any combination imaginable.

‘Thailand Giant’ is, undoubtedly, the plant with the largest foliage in the aroid (Araceae) family. It started appearing in gardens across the country within the last decade. Leaves emerge in mid- to late spring, reaching more than 6 feet long and 3 feet wide in one season under optimal conditions. I’ve been digging out and overwintering a plant for three years now, but this past spring, I found a bud that had been left behind and survived winter; it grew a whopping 8 feet tall and wide in its first year in my Zone 7 garden on the south side of a brick wall that reflects heat and winter sun. Children and silly adults love to compare their ears to those of ‘Thailand Giant’.-Adrienne Roethling, Elephant's Ears, Fine Gardening issue #148, page 57

Ground morning glory is a trailing low grower with a profusion of funnel-shaped lavender flowers from summer to early autumn.

Though its leaves are small, this semi-deciduous shrub stands out in the landscape. Littleleaf cordia has a prolifically branching, slightly open form that looks good year-round. Its roughly textured, dark gray-green foliage contrasts nicely with its coppery brown young stems. From late spring into fall, branch tips bear clusters of pristine, white, funnel-shaped flowers to provide a visually cooling effect during the peak of summer heat. It grows to 6 to 8 feet tall and wide.

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This basal branching cordyline combines the rugged easy-care attributes of its cordyline cousins with an unusual mix of shiny dark color, compact bushy form, short stems and cascading grass-like leaves.

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Large golden-yellow blossoms are borne in late spring and midsummer on top of stems reaching almost 3 feet high. Native to the southeastern U.S.

As the name implies, this species bears large, daisy-like blossoms (2.5 inches across) of golden yellow rays and darker yellow centers. It blooms from late spring to late summer and is native to the central and southeastern U.S.

A multitude of 2-inch, golden-yellow daisy flowers sits atop thready foliage from late spring to late summer if deadheaded promptly. This clump-forming perennial is native to the central and southeastern U.S. It is sometimes grown as an annual. It makes a beautiful cut flower, and its casual habit makes it valuable in cottage gardens, borders, containers, and meadows.

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'Sunray' coreopsis has double to semi-double yellow flowers that begin blooming in late spring and continue throughout the summer. The species is native to the central and southeastern U.S. Flowers are good for cutting. Use in beds and borders or in containers.