In autumn, the leaves of deciduous plants change colour before they drop to the ground. Some plants seem to change colour from one part of the day to another as the sun is reflected from the leaves in different ways. Try looking at the difference in foliage colour between afternoon and sunset. Some plants have variations in foliage colour from one time of the year to the next. For many plants the new or young foliage may be strikingly different to the adult foliage, for example, being bronze or purplish in colour.
Warm temperatures bring out colour in others.
Light -Many plants have more brilliant colours in their foliage when in full sunlight, and lose their brilliance in the shade. These colourful growth flushes can be encouraged by regular fertilising, watering and pruning. The following section provides a short listing of some of the more widely known colourful plants grown in Australia and the season when they are at their peak display. Sky-blue Gardenia 'Professor Pucci' Small shrub Creamy white Ixora sp. Medium shrub Red Winter Duranta repens Small shrub Yellow Autumn-winter Eugenia spp.