Plants with variegated leaves will bring a touch of color to your foliage plant collection. They make a nice alternative to plants that bloom.
Leaf variegation is when a leaf has zones that are a different color. These types of plants are fairly popular, and while you won’t really find them in nature, they are finding their ways in our homes more and more.
With some plant varieties, they come with a price tag similar to the non-variegated plant price, while with some hard-to-find varieties, the prices can be quite extreme. But don’t worry, if you want to add plants with variegated leaves into your home, there are many available that won’t break the bank.
You will find many wonderful specimens on our list, from all price ranges, easy-to-find plants, as well as some that will require some work to find.
We hope you’ll be filling your home with a variety of different ones. You should also note, some varieties are easier to find in some parts of the world so that the price will reflect that in your area.
Plants With Variegated Leaves
Tip: if you have an eye on a popular plant with variegated leaves with a steep price, as the demand rises, more will become available, and you can expect the price to drop in the future. If you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg, patience is key.
While variegated leaves technically mean “having more than one color,” we won’t be including plants like nerve plant or zebra plant where all plants are variegated by default.
1. Monstera with Variegated Leaves
If you are looking for a statement plant with variegation, monstera is your plant. This is one of the more sought-after plants, and the reason is very clear. Large leaves with gorgeous fenestrations and splashes of cream or pure white.
There are two popular varieties somewhat commonly available, one with less variegation (specks and patches) and one highly variegated. You can often see half of the leaf is completely white.
The first one is called Thai Constellation. This one has less variegation than Albo variety, but if you ask us, both are equally impressive, and it’s just a matter of personal preference. It’s more common to come by, and you can already get it in a few nurseries and plant stores.
The second one is Monstera Deliciosa Albo, a cultivar with more pronounced variegation. The variegation usually covers half the leaf (it’s why Monstera “Half Moon” is also a common name) but can cover even more.
At the time of writing, these are still hard to find, and you might need to find a private seller. These are more delicate to grow, so propagating them is slow, which makes them hit the market at a slower rate too. As you can imagine, at the time of writing, these come at quite a steep price tag.
2. Stromanthe Triostar
Stromanthe is a relatively small group of plants from the prayer plant family, but it has an incredibly eye-catching variety in its midst. Stromanthe Triostar boasts long green leaves with gorgeous large variegated parts, from pink-beige to white. Add to this the wonderful pink-red color under the leaves, and this plant is a must-have.
These are fairly common and the price tag reflects that.
Before getting one, one thing to keep in mind is that this member of the prayer plant family can be fussy, so Stromante triostar care does come with a bit of drama. The magic star variety is a bit easier to care for but doesn’t come with strong variegation (you will see specks and occasional lines).
3. Pothos Plants with Variegated Leaves
Pothos are popular houseplants, and many pothos varieties come with variegation, some with more pronounced variegation and some with less.
These plants have been grown for generations, and even variegated varieties are really commonly seen in plant shops.
The variety you will most likely see in your store is called Pothos Marble Queen. It can come in different variegation levels (the highly variegated plant is sometimes called Snow Queen). These are inexpensive plants.
Another wonderful variety that you won’t often see in local plant stores but is certainly worth looking for is Pothos N’joy.
Pothos plants are easy to care for, but you should note that if they don’t receive enough light, the variegation can revert, and the leaves will become greener.
4. Philodendron Pink Princess
No need to stick with white and beige only when it comes to plants with variegated leaves. Why not have a plant with a dash of pink?
Philodendron Pink Princess has the most adorable leaf variegation you could imagine as the leaves are very dark green with large pink areas.
This plant is highly sought after, and you can find it fairly easily. However, it does come with a steep price tag at the time of the writing.
5. Ficus Elastica Tineke
Ficus Elastica, or Rubber Plant, is a common and popular house plant admired for its gorgeous, large waxy foliage.
The non-variegated and variegated (Ficus Elastica Tineke) specimens are widely available, so you can often spot them at larger general stores when they have “plant specials” or “plant weeks.”
Most plant stores should carry them regularly.
6. Maranta Leuconeura Kerchoveana Variegata
Caring for Maranta Leuconeura Kerchoveana is easy, and with good care, this plant will grow like a weed. The variegation can be subtle, with white specks scattered across the leaves, and you can see larger areas that are completely white too. Variegation across half the leaf is fairly common too.
Prayer plants are also really easy to propagate, so you can fill your home with these in no time or share them with your friends.
While you won’t spot these often in regular plant stores, finding one shouldn’t be too hard, and this isn’t an expensive plant.
7. Musa – Banana Tree With Variegated Leaves
Banana trees have become quite popular indoor plants. They grow fast and have large spectacular foliage. But did you know a variegated banana tree is a thing too? It does, and it is gorgeous.
The leaves on any banana tree are magnificent, add to this the wonderful variegation, and you have your statement plant.
8. Peperomia Obustifolia
There are many different types of peperomia out there, and many come with leaves that have more than one color.
But if you are specifically looking for variegated plants, the variegated variety of Peperomia Obustifolia is the one to get. This one is pretty common and can be often sold in “green mix” plant sets.
9. Elephant Ear (Alocasia macrorrhiza variegata)
If you enjoy plants with big leaves, the Elephant ear is another one to add to your collection. Its impressively sized leaves have no match.
Combine this one with a variegated monstera, banana tree and you will be the envy of all big leaf plant lovers.
10. Aglaonema Pictum Tricolor
While aglaonema comes in many different forms and color combinations, people who love plants with variegated leaves usually want to add the Pictum Tricolor variety into their collection.
11. Calathea White Fusion
Many calathea varieties have leaves that have more than just one color. There are enough of them that they could fill all the spots on this list. However, there is one that really stands out when it comes to variegation. The White Fusion.
Mind you, the price you will have to pay to have this plant in your home is high, and we’re not talking money here. This particular type of calathea is the fussiest one, and in order to keep the foliage in top shape, you will need to cater to her dramatic character.
12. Syngonium Albo
Syngonium Albo, also known as Variegated Arrowhead Vine, has gorgeous white variegation. Plants from this group come in quite a few varieties and different colors, but none can match it to Syngonium Albo.
13. Variegated Schefflera
Schefflera, the umbrella plant comes in full green and variegated variety, both commonly available at plant shops. This plant has the potential to grow to an impressive size.
The degree of variegation is different. You can get a plant with huge potions of white (or yellow) variegation or a plant that has only a small portion of variegated leaves.
14. Ficus Benjamina
Not as popular (currently) as ficus elastica, ficus Benjamina variegata (weeping fig) still has a lot to offer. It’s easy to come by in plant stores either as a small plant or as an impressive tree that will happily thrive indoors.
15. Hoya Kerii Variegated
You might have noticed these sold as single leaf plants around Valentine’s day – the non-variegated version. Did you know a variegated version of the plant exists too, and it’s even more adorable?
That said, we suggest you never buy the “sweetheart plant” that is a single leaf only. Buy a full plant. Even a small one is OK as long as it has a node. The ones sold around Valentine’s day are cute. However, it’s usually just the leaf in a pot without the node. While a single leaf can live on for years, it won’t grow further than that. You won’t see a full-plant growing out of the single leaf (it can rarely happen when they accidentally leave the node, but it’s not the case more often than not).
The price difference between a single leaf and an actual plant isn’t big and you won’t regret it. Why settle with one heart when you can have a plant happily pushing out many.
