🎨 Choose well
🌿 Indoor plants
🌿 In brief
White, pink, silvery, or patterned variegation: colorful foliage plants all have one thing in common: they need more light than a green plant. In good light, they retain their colors. In a dark corner, they turn green or lose their vibrancy. The rest comes down to a few simple steps: cut back stems that have turned green again, avoid harsh sun on white areas, and use fertilizer in moderation.
A green plant dresses up a room. A plant with colorful foliage transforms it: an orange and red Croton warms up a living room, a marbled Pothos brightens a shelf, and a Calathea with intricate patterns draws the eye like a painting. You still need to know where these colors come from to keep them intact. Here's how they work, how to light and care for them, followed by our selection, family by family.
Where the colors come from
A leaf is green because it is filled with chlorophyll, the pigment that captures light to produce the plant's energy. Everything that is not green on a leaf corresponds to one of these three mechanisms, and each has consequences for care.
Variegation: areas without chlorophyll
White, cream, or yellow spots, edges, or marbling are areas where the leaf produces little or no chlorophyll. They do not work for the plant: a highly variegated leaf produces less energy, and the plant grows more slowly.
The pigments: red, pink, and purple
Reds, pinks, and purples come from other pigments, anthocyanins and carotenoids, which are added to or mask the chlorophyll. They are produced in response to light: the more light the plant receives, the more intense its colors.
The highlights: silvery and metallic
The silvery coloring of a Scindapsus pictus or an Aglaonema 'Silver Bay' is not a pigment: it is the structure of the leaf reflecting light. These types of foliage are often the most tolerant of medium light.
To understand how a leaf transforms light into energy, our article on photosynthesis explained simply details the process.
Light: the key to color
This is the number one rule: the less chlorophyll a leaf contains, the more light it needs to nourish the plant. A variegated plant placed in a dark corner responds by producing more green, and its new leaves lose their variegation. But not all families require the same amount of light.
| Type of foliage | Ideal light | A sign that it lacks it |
|---|---|---|
| White or cream variegation | Bright, without direct midday sun | New leaves become increasingly green |
| Pink and red | Bright, a few gentle morning rays welcome | Colors fade, leaves turn green |
| Crotons | Very bright, with a few hours of gentle sun | Leaves remain green, lower leaves drop |
| Calathea, Maranta, Ctenanthe | Bright but filtered, never direct sun | Slow growth; with too much sun, patterns fade |
| Silvery and metallic | Bright to medium, without direct sun | Stems that become elongated, smaller leaves |
| Bright yellow and acid green | Bright, without scorching sun | Yellow turns green |
In practice, the best spot is one to two meters from an east- or west-facing window, or behind a sheer curtain in front of a south-facing window. Turn the pot a quarter turn each time you water: the plant will color evenly instead of leaning toward the window. Our guide to window sill plants can help you assess the exposure of each window.
When colors fade
A colorful plant that loses its colors is almost always sending a clear message. Four cases occur most often.
An entirely green stem: reversion
On some variegated plants, such as Pothos 'Marble Queen', Ficus 'Tineke', or Philodendron 'Birkin', a stem sometimes starts producing entirely green leaves. This is reversion: the plant is returning to its original form. Since these green leaves produce more energy, the stem quickly takes over. Cut it just above the last well-variegated leaf, and the plant will grow again from that point. Our guide to pruning houseplants shows where to cut.
Dull colors across the whole plant
When all the new leaves are paler or greener than the older ones, this is not reversion but a lack of light. Move the plant closer to the window: the next leaves will regain their colors. Those that have already turned green, however, will not change again.
Brown spots on the white areas
The white or cream parts do not have chlorophyll's protection: they burn more quickly in direct sun and dry out faster when the air is dry or watering is irregular. Move the plant away from the window in midsummer and water regularly. Our article on brown tips and edges can help you identify the exact cause.
Patterns fading on a Calathea
Calatheas and Marantas are an exception: for them, too much light causes the patterns to fade. Direct sun, even for just a few hours, makes the patterns pale and causes the leaves to curl. Bright but filtered light is enough for them.
Everyday care
Aside from light, a colorful plant is cared for like a green plant from the same family, with a few nuances that make all the difference to the vibrancy of the foliage.
- Fertilizer applied in moderation, from March to September: too much nitrogen encourages green, floppy growth at the expense of color.
- Low-limescale water for Calatheas and Marantas, which are sensitive to limescale and chlorine that leave marks on the edges of the leaves. Our guide to which water to use for watering your plants details the solutions.
- Humidity for delicate, patterned foliage: group the plants together or place them on a tray of damp clay pebbles.
- Dust-free foliage: dust dulls colors and slows photosynthesis. See our method for cleaning foliage.
- Turn the pot a quarter turn with each watering, for even colors on all sides.
- Do not use polish or oil on silver or velvety foliage: they would clog the pores and make it lose its sheen.
Variegated plants grow more slowly than their green counterparts. This is normal: there is no need to compensate with more fertilizer or more water, only patience and good light.
Mistakes that dull foliage
⚠️ Avoid
Choosing a plant for a dark corner. This is the most common mistake: a colorful plant bought to brighten up a windowless hallway will lose its colors within a few months. For these locations, our guide to plants for dark rooms suggests suitable species.
Letting a green stem take over. A stem that has reverted to green grows faster than the others and eventually dominates the plant.
Placing the plant right against a south-facing window. The white areas will burn, and the patterns on Calatheas will fade.
Overdoing the fertilizer. An overfed colorful plant grows quickly, but becomes green and floppy.
Moving the plant around constantly. Crotons and Calatheas react to changes in location by losing a few leaves. Find them a good spot and let them settle in.
Our selection by plant family
You now know what each type of foliage requires: here are our plants, grouped by color, so you can choose the one that suits your light and interior.
White and cream variegated plants
The brightest of them all, lighting up a shelf corner or a light-toned living room. They need good light to maintain their marbling.
Heart-shaped leaves marbled in green and creamy white, on stems that trail or climb. The easiest variegated variety to care for.
View Marble Queen →
Small bright green leaves with large, clearly defined white patches. More compact than Marble Queen, ideal for a shelf.
View N'Joy →
The Monstera with cream-speckled split leaves, like a starry sky. A collector's piece, stable and not prone to reversion.
View Thai Constellation →
Glossy dark green leaves covered in fine cream stripes, as if drawn with a pen. Compact, it does not climb.
View Birkin →
The variegated rubber plant: large glossy leaves in green, gray-green, and cream, with a pinkish midrib on young leaves.
View Tineke →
Large deep green leaves with a cream-lit center. A tropical statement plant that tolerates medium light.
View Tropic Snow →
Thin green leaves edged in white, and runners covered with small plantlets. Virtually indestructible and safe for pets.
View Chlorophytum →
A shrub with round, thick leaves, green with cream marbling. A structured silhouette for a bright spot.
View Clusia →Pink and red foliage
The most spectacular ones, warming up an interior. Their color intensifies with light: don't hide them at the back of the room.
Soft pink arrow-shaped leaves, subtly edged in green. The easiest way to bring pink into a room.
View Red Heart →
An Aglaonema with red and pink leaves edged in green. Hardy, it retains its colors in bright light without direct sun.
View Romeo →
Dark green, cream, and pink leaves with magenta undersides that light up when backlit. A plant that enjoys humidity.
View Triostar →
Thin, elongated, dark leaves edged in magenta purple. A graphic silhouette that is very easy to care for.
View Magenta →
Small, textured dark green leaves with bright red undersides. A perfect miniature for a desk or a bright bedside table.
View Rosso →
Three plants with pink foliage gathered in one set, to create a colorful corner in one go.
View the trio →Crotons, the fireworks display
No other houseplant offers so many colors on a single leaf: yellow, orange, red, and green blended together. They also need the most light. Our complete Croton guide details their care.
The classic Croton: broad green leaves veined with yellow, turning orange and red with the light.
View Petra →
Narrow, twisted leaves in dark red illuminated with yellow. A Croton with a dense habit and original texture.
View Mammi →
A mix of green, yellow, and red on dense foliage. A warm, vibrant touch near a sunny window.
View Wilma →
One of the most colorful Crotons, with leaves marbled in pink, red, and yellow against a dark background.
View Mrs. Iceton →
Elongated green leaves, speckled and striped with bright yellow. A compact size for a windowsill.
View Sunny Star →
A large specimen over one metre tall with broad yellow, orange and red leaves. A true centrepiece for a very bright room.
View Magnificent →
Patterned foliage: Calathea, Maranta and Ctenanthe
Stripes, feathers, medallions: every leaf looks hand-painted. These plants love humidity and filtered light, and are safe for cats and dogs. Our complete Calathea guide covers their care in detail.
Very dark green leaves covered with fine pink stripes, as if painted with a brush. The most graphic of the Calatheas.
View Ornata →
Deep green leaves broadly striped with white and pale pink, with purple undersides. Bright, highly decorative foliage.
View Whitestar →
Broad, round leaves with a light and dark green medallion pattern and purple undersides. One of the most spectacular varieties.
View Medallion →
The peacock plant: delicate leaves decorated with feather-like patterns, almost translucent when backlit.
View Makoyana →
Large, round, light green leaves striped with silver bands. Full, soothing foliage.
View Orbifolia →
Long, wavy light green leaves marked with dark spots and purple undersides. One of the easiest Calatheas.
View Insignis →
Dark and light green leaves with bright red veins that fold up in the evening like praying hands.
View Fascinator →
The zesty version of the prayer plant: dark green leaves with lime-green veins and spots.
View Lemon Lime →
Large elongated silvery-gray leaves marked with green, with purple undersides. Hardier than most Calatheas.
View the Ctenanthe →Silvery and metallic
Silver, bronze, or copper highlights that change depending on the angle of the light. Often more tolerant than white-variegated plants.
Matte green heart-shaped leaves scattered with satin-silver spots. Beautiful in a hanging planter.
View the Argyraeus →
Elongated leaves with a silvery-gray center edged in green. One of the most light-tolerant colorful foliage plants for medium light.
View the Silver Bay →
Thick silvery-green leaves with dark, prominent veins, like scales. A small collector's Alocasia.
View the Silver Dragon →
Leaves with metallic copper and burgundy highlights that shine like polished metal in the light.
View the Red Secret →
Elongated olive-green leaves with silvery spots and red undersides. A graphic plant full of character.
View the Begonia →
Purple foliage with silvery highlights that trails in a cascade. Grows quickly and propagates very easily from cuttings.
View the Tradescantia →Yellows and acid greens
Sunny shades that brighten up a slightly uniform green corner. They retain their vibrancy in bright light.
Bright green heart-shaped leaves streaked with golden yellow. Virtually indestructible, it trails or climbs depending on its support.
View the Golden Pothos →
Ribbon-like leaves striped with soft green and lemon yellow. A zesty burst of color and an upright silhouette.
View the Lemon Lime →
The variegated umbrella tree: glossy green leaflets splashed with yellow. Hardy and easy to prune.
View the Gold Capella →
Arrow-shaped leaves in a soft golden green, almost luminous. A light, gentle touch on a shelf.
View the Syngonium →
A cascade of small lime-green and yellow leaves. Perfect for hanging, it grows quickly and propagates effortlessly from cuttings.
View Yellow Hill →
Upright leaves striped with green and edged with a yellow border. The most tolerant colorful foliage plant in this selection.
View Laurentii →To combine these colors with each other and with your pots, our guide to combining potted plants offers combinations that work.
Verdeia — Decorative foliage
Color without waiting for a bloom
Variegated, pink, silvery, or patterned: discover all our decorative foliage, delivered in perfect condition throughout Europe.
Frequently asked questions
Either it lacks light and produces more chlorophyll to compensate, or a stem has reverted. Move it closer to a window and cut fully green stems above the last variegated leaf.
Not in a truly dark corner: it would lose its colors. The most tolerant are Aglaonema 'Silver Bay', Sansevieria 'Laurentii', and Calathea, which can manage with medium light.
Yes. Their white or cream areas do not produce energy, so the plant grows more slowly than the same fully green variety. This is normal; do not compensate with more fertilizer.
You can cut off the dry part with clean scissors, following the shape of the leaf. It will not turn green again. Most importantly, correct the cause: overly direct sun, air that is too dry, or irregular watering.
Calathea, Maranta, and Ctenanthe, Peperomia, and Chlorophytum are safe. Crotons, Dieffenbachia, Aglaonema, and Syngonium are toxic: keep them out of pets' reach.
With pets at home
Safe colors for your companions
Calathea, Maranta, Peperomia: discover all our non-toxic indoor plants for cats and dogs.
