Some of the most beautiful and unique plants you can have in your home are those with leaves that change color. They feature varying shades of greens, whites, reds, and other bright colors that will leave you in awe. Some variegated houseplants are highly sought after due to their rarity, also making them a little pricier.
Some of the more uncommon variegated indoor plants are good for collectors, but there are also a lot that won’t break the bank and will make your indoor garden more interesting. Many variegated houseplants are also low maintenance, making them a great option for new houseplant owners.
So, where do you begin? We’ve chosen some of our favorite indoor plants with pretty flower-shaped leaves. Keep reading to learn more about our picks for the best indoor plants, along with pictures and names of each one!
One of the joys of nurturing houseplants is appreciating their diverse colors, textures, and forms. If you want to add visual drama to your indoor garden, consider bringing home a plant with bold striped foliage. Several popular houseplants boast leaves with eye-catching stripes, splashes, and variegation that make them stand out. Read on to discover some beautiful choices and how to care for them.
Why Choose Striped Houseplants?
Houseplants with striped leaves offer some great benefits:
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They provide stunning visual interest and immediately grab your attention
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The striking colors and patterns create depth and dimension.
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They add lively contrast when paired with solid green foliage.
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Unique striped leaves give your home a trendy, stylish look.
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These plants often have tropical origins and evoke exotic locales.
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They come in a range of colors like white, yellow, pink and red.
Houseplants with variegated or patterned leaves give your indoor garden personality and style. They are sure to be conversation starters when guests spot them!
Popular Striped Leaf Houseplants
Here are some top picks for indoor plants boasting gorgeous striped or patterned leaves:
Calathea Ornata
This tropical has bright pink striped leaves with purple undersides. Its bold patterns resemble painted brushstrokes.
Croton Mammy
Oval leaves have yellow, orange, pink and red stripes. New leaves emerge curled up before unfurling.
Dracaena Marginata
A houseplant classic with slender green leaves edged in red, pink or white. Very easy care.
Maranta Leuconeura
Oval leaves display light green strips atop a dark green background. Known as the prayer plant.
Aglaonema Siam Aurora
Speckled and splashed with pink and red tones, the leaves on this Chinese evergreen have almost a tie-dyed look.
Fittonia Albivenis
Deep veined leaves form patterns of white and dark pink on this aptly named nerve plant.
Calathea Zebrina
Striking foliage has bold green stripes above and rich purple below. Graceful arching form.
Caring for Striped Leaf Houseplants
While care varies slightly by variety, most houseplants with patterned leaves thrive with:
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Bright indirect light – Variegation tends to fade in too much sun. Provide 4-6 hours of filtered light.
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Humid conditions – These tropicals prefer 40% humidity or higher. Mist leaves or use a humidifier.
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Water when top inch of soil is dry – Check by digging your finger in the pot. Avoid soggy soil.
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Room temperatures above 60°F – Keep away from cold drafts which can damage leaves.
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Fertilizing in spring and summer – Use a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half strength.
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Pruning for shape – Trim off leggy growth to encourage bushiness. Pinch back tips.
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Insect monitoring – Watch for pests like spider mites, mealybugs and aphids. Treat promptly.
Caring for patterned leaf plants is very rewarding since you get to enjoy their vivid foliage. Just provide warm, humid conditions similar to their native tropical habitats.
Decorating With Gorgeous Striped Plants
Houseplants with striking variegated or striped leaves allow for lots of decorating possibilities:
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Show off alone in a plant stand or pot on pedestal to highlight the unique foliage.
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Combine with other patterned plants for a bold statement – pair a Croton with a Calathea.
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Contrast with solid green foliage like ZZ Plants or Pothos to make the colors pop.
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Display on bookshelves or mantels to add artsy personality to the decor.
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Add height and drama in a floor plant near seating areas or corners.
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Place in a macrame or hanging planter where the trailing leaves can be admired.
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Group together a collection of assorted patterned plants on tables or plant stands.
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Use as table centerpieces – the unusual foliage is sure to spark conversation.
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Border a kitchen window with trailing spider plants and patterned prayer plants.
Have fun playing with combinations to find what looks best in your home. The unique striped leaves on these plants add liveliness wherever they are shown off.
Benefits of Plants With Variegated Leaves
In addition to their visual beauty, houseplants with variegated or patterned foliage offer other benefits:
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The striking colors and patterns are known to help reduce stress and anxiety when people gaze upon them.
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Caring for plants indoors has positive impacts on focus, productivity, and creativity, according to studies.
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Houseplants improve indoor air quality by removing harmful VOCs, dust, and allergens.
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Watching the leaves slowly unfold on new growth is deeply satisfying.
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Personal caretaking forms a sense of responsibility for living things.
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Sharing clippings with friends or trading varieties strengthens social connections.
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Most variegated plants are relatively easy to propagate – just snip off a stem cutting!
So in addition to making your home more beautiful, adding striped leaf plants improves your wellbeing in many ways!
Make a Statement with Stunning Foliage
Looking to add bold drama to your home’s ambiance? There’s no better way than bringing home eye-catching houseplants with variegated, painted, or intricately patterned leaves. Popular picks like Calathea Ornata, Croton Mammy, and Maranta Leuconeura will be sure to spark smiles and admiration from all who seem them. With the right growing conditions and a bright, warm spot in your home, you’ll have the pleasure of nurturing their vividly striped foliage for your enjoyment. Make your decor come alive and show off your plant care skills with beautiful patterned plants!
Golden Hahnii (Snake Plant)
Golden Hahnii tolerates relatively long periods without water.
- Plant Type: Succulent
- Plant Size: 6-8 inches
- Water Needs: Every two to three weeks
- Sun Needs: Direct sunlight or bright, indirect sunlight
Golden Hahnii, is one of many varieties of snake plant. It’s a small indoor houseplant with yellow and deep green leaves. If you struggle with houseplants or are just starting out, this is a great plant to have.
Snake plants are extremely tough. Almost any amount of sunlight is fine for them, and you only need to water them about every two to three weeks. They can even survive colder temperatures in short bursts. For it to last, you should use soil that drains well and not water it too much, since it can’t handle that.
Golden Pothos should be watered only when the topsoil dries out, it does not like drafts.
- Plant Type: Vine
- Plant Size: 20-40 feet
- Water Needs: Whenever the soil is dry
- Sun Needs: Bright, indirect sunlight
The Golden Pothos is another easy-to-care-for, variegated houseplant. This beautiful plant is ideal for beginners. This beautiful plant is tough like the snake plant but looks different. It also features vibrant green leaves with touches of yellow or lighter green.
They are a beautiful plant to put in a hanging pot because their leaves hang down and trail off of it. You can trim the vine as you see fit or let the plant grow and climb.
Golden Pothos is great if you love plants but sometimes forget to take care of them because of your busy schedule. They almost thrive on neglect.
Inch Plant is unpretentious to growing conditions and is suitable even for beginner growers.
- Plant Type: Spiderwort
- Plant Size: No more than 6 inches
- Water Needs: Regular misting and watering once a week
- Sun Needs: Medium to bright sunlight
An Inch Plant is excellent if you love hanging plants in your home. The plant grows out of the pot and has beautiful deep red and purple colors with some silver stripes.
While it looks stunning as a hanging plant, you don’t need to hang it to enjoy its beauty. It looks just as lovely in a regular pot on a table. Unlike other houseplants, this one can tolerate direct sunlight.
It thrives in medium to bright sunlight but requires watering at least once a week. It may need more if you leave it in direct sunlight for long.
Lemon Lime is an evergreen ornamental deciduous plant, with a long, sometimes branched stem.
- Plant Type: Broadleaf evergreen
- Plant Size: 5-7 feet
- Water Needs: Once a week
- Sun Needs: Medium, indirect sunlight
One of the most popular variegated houseplants is a Lemon Lime. This plant features broad, almost pointy leaves with dark green and yellow hues. The arching leaves are what draw plant enthusiasts in.
For the most part, this plant is easy to take care of. You only need to water it about once a week or whenever the topsoil is drying. It can even handle cooler temperatures, but a window, door, or air conditioner should keep it from getting too cold. Even though the plant is pretty, be careful if you have pets that like to eat plants, because this one can be harmful to them.
In the summer, you should spray the “Milk Confetti” leaves with water and wipe them down with a damp sponge.
- Plant Type: Vine
- Plant Size: 1-3 inches
- Water Needs: Once a week
- Sun Needs: Indirect sunlight
Milk Confetti is a tiny vine that makes a great indoor houseplant. It’s a pale green plant with oval leaves that point at the tip. As it matures, the arrowhead shape will become more pronounced.
The reason people call this plant Milk Confetti is the amount of white you’ll see on the leaves. As it grows, the white color will spread to more of the leaves, and you might even see some pink tones. You can cut it back often so it doesn’t get too long, even though it’s a vine. It will only be three inches tall.
Although the Minima plant is quite tolerant of dry air, high humidity conditions will ensure optimal growth.
- Plant Type: Perennial vine
- Plant Size: 6-8 feet
- Water Needs: Once a week
- Sun Needs: Indirect sunlight
You might not be able to tell the difference between a Minima and a Monstera plant right away if you put them next to each other. Monstera and Minimas have leaves that look a lot alike, but Minimas is a much smaller plant that is great for a home or office.
The leaves range from deep emerald shades to a lighter, almost yellow hue. Putting it in a pot will cause the vines to grow sideways and fall off the edges of the pot. As long as you keep it out of direct sunlight, it’s a lovely plant to hang in your home.
‘Moon Valley’ is a stunning plant, able to withstand high humidity, but does not tolerate direct sunlight.
- Plant Type: Cultivar
- Plant Size: 12 inches
- Water Needs: Once a week
- Sun Needs: Moderate to bright light
This indoor houseplant is a stunning and unique one to have. Moon Valley’s leaves look like waffles and have ridges and crinkles, similar to the craters on the moon.
From time to time, tiny white flowers will appear on the plant, making it look even more beautiful than it already is.
It cannot handle direct sunlight but appreciates bright or medium light. One great thing about this plant is that it can handle high humidity. If you live somewhere humid, don’t worry too much about it.
Nerve Plant is a heat-loving plant that does not tolerate drafts and sudden changes in temperature.
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Plant Size: 3-6 inches
- Water Needs: Every 4-7 days
- Sun Needs: Bright, indirect sunlight
If you haven’t heard of a Nerve Plant before, you may have heard it called a Mosaic Plant. They’re the same plant but depending on who you ask, you’ll hear it called a different name.
The Nerve Plant gets its name from the tiny colorful lines spread across the deep green leaves. They look like veins or a mosaic pattern. The colors range from pinks to rich purples.
Sometimes it will flower with red and yellow spikes, but flowering is rare with this plant. The plant doesn’t get very tall, but it can get wide.
Orbifolia needs partial shade with a sufficient amount of diffused light.
- Plant Type: Prayer plant
- Plant Size: Up to 3 feet
- Water Needs: When the top inch of soil is dry
- Sun Needs: Bright, indirect sunlight
Orbifolia plants are native to Bolivia, but they make great houseplants all over the world. They do best in mild climates. This type of calathea has broad leaves that feature dark and light green horizontal stripes.
They prefer bright, indirect sunlight but can tolerate a darker space if need be. Don’t put it in a dark room if you have to. Try to get it back to indirect sunlight as soon as possible. Keeping it in indirect sunlight will keep the vibrant, striped leaves looking brighter and more appealing.
Peace Lily Domino species is pretentious to care, and needs regular fertilizers and moisture.
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Plant Size: 20-30 inches
- Water Needs: Every 2-3 weeks
- Sun Needs: Medium to bright, indirect sunlight
For beginner houseplant owners, a Peace Lily is a great one to start with. If you want an even more beautiful variety, though, the Domino variegated plant is even better.
There is something unique about the Peace Lily Domino’s green leaves that look like white marble. This plant stands out from others. You may see it begin to produce white flowers during the spring or summer.
This is one of the easiest plants to care for. You only need to water it every two to three weeks because it likes soil that is just barely wet.
21 Indoor Plants With Striped Leaves | Varigated Leaf Indoor Plants
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