Plants With Striped Leaves

If you’re looking to add some serious visual pop to your garden or indoor space, look no further than plants with striped leaves. This group of plants offers some of the most visually striking striped foliage in the plant kingdom, providing year-round interest without relying on flowers.

From bold architectural statements to delicate, grass-like textures, there’s a striped plant for every situation. They can light up a shady corner, add rhythm to a border, or become the centerpiece of your container display. Let’s look at how to use these beauties and care for them.

This category is wonderfully diverse. It includes towering outdoor grasses, tropical houseplants, hardy perennial, and even succulents. The stripes can be white, cream, yellow, pink, or even silver, running along the lenght of the leaf or across it.

Top Picks for Outdoor Gardens

These plants will add structure and color to your landscape from spring to fall, and often into winter.

Variegated Japanese Silver Grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’): A stunning ornamental grass with long, arching leaves that have bold white stripes. It can reach 6 feet tall and provides amazing fall color and winter structure.
Hosta varieties: Many hostas have striped leaves. ‘Francee’ has dark green leaves with clean white edges, while ‘Patriot’ offers even brighter white margins. They are perfect for shady spots.
Variegated Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’): Its elegant, arching stems are lined with paired leaves edged in creamy white. It thrives in shade and has tiny, fragrant spring flowers.
Striped Tuber Oat Grass (Arrhenatherum elatius bulbosum ‘Variegatum’): A low-maintenance grass with bright white-striped leaves that have a slight curl. It’s great for edging or ground cover and tolerates light foot traffic.

Fantastic Striped Houseplants

Bring the drama indoors with these low-light tolerant and eye-catching varieties.

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum ‘Vittatum’): The classic easy-care houseplant. Its long, grassy leaves have a central white stripe. It’s great for beginners and produces lots of baby “spiderettes.”
Zebra Plant (Aphelandra squarrosa): Features dark, glossy leaves with brilliant white veins. It does require higher humidity and consistent moisture to truly thrive.
Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura): Several varieties, like ‘Erythroneura’, have velvety leaves with striking red veins and splotches that can appear striped. Their leaves fold up at night like praying hands.
Pinstripe Plant (Calathea ornata): Boasts dark green leaves with impossibly fine pink or white pinstripes. It’s a real diva that needs high humidity and distilled water to prevent leaf browning.

Striped Foliage for Sun and Containers

These plants love brighter light and are perfect for pots or sunny garden spots.

Variegated Century Plant (Agave americana ‘Variegata’): A massive, architectural succulent with gray-green leaves edged in bright yellow or white. It makes a huge statement in hot, dry gardens.
Rainbow Leaved Blanket Flower (Dracaena marginata ‘Tricolor’): Actually a tropical shrub often used as a houseplant or summer annual. It has thin, sword-like leaves with stripes of green, pink, and cream.
Variegated Lily Turf (Liriope muscari ‘Variegata’): A tough, grass-like perennial with yellow-striped leaves. It produces purple flower spikes in late summer and is excellent for borders or erosion control.

How to Care for Your Striped-Leaf Plants

While care varies, striped plants share some general needs, especially when it comes to light.

Light: The Key to Vibrant Stripes

The variegated (striped) parts of the leaf lack chlorophyll. This means the plant has less surface area to produce energy. To compensate, most striped plants need brighter indirect light than their all-green relatives.

Too little light: The plant may revert to solid green to produce more chlorophyll. This is called “reversion.”
Too much direct sun: Can scorch the delicate, pale striped sections, causing brown patches.
Tip: Rotate indoor plants regularly so all sides get even light and grow evenly.

Watering and Feeding

Always check the soil moisture before watering. Many striped plants, especially variegated versions, can be slightly more sensitive.

For most, water when the top inch of soil feels dry.
Water thoroughly until it runs from the drainage holes, then let the pot drain completely.
Reduce watering in the winter when plant growth slows down.
Use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer at half-strength during the growing season (spring and summer). Over-fertilizing can harm roots and cause weak growth.

Pruning and Maintenance

Keep your plants looking their best with simple grooming.

Prune out any solid green leaves or reverted stems immediately. Cut them back to the base to encourage new, properly striped growth.
Remove brown or yellowed leaves at the stem with clean scissors. This improves appearance and prevents potential disease issues.
For perennials outdoors, cut back dead foliage in late winter or early spring before new growth begins.

Design Tips for Using Striped Foliage

These plants are powerful design tools. Here’s how to use them effectively.

Creating Focal Points

A single large specimen, like a variegated Agave or a big clump of striped Miscanthus, can serve as a living sculpture. Place it where the eye will naturally fall.

Brightening Shady Areas

White and cream-striped plants, like hostas or variegated Solomon’s Seal, act like natural lanterns in dark corners. They reflect avalable light and make the whole space feel brighter.

Adding Rhythm and Movement

Plant striped grasses or upright plants in a repeating sequence along a path or border. This leads the eye through the garden and creates a sense of harmony. The stripes themselves add a linear rhythm.

Complementing Other Plants

Pair striped foliage with plants that have solid-colored leaves for contrast. They also look fantastic next to plants with purple or burgundy foliage, or with flowers in blue, purple, or hot pink tones.

Common Problems and Solutions

Even the best gardeners encounter issues. Here’s how to troubleshoot.

Brown Tips on Leaves: Often caused by low humidity, fluoride in tap water, or inconsistent watering. Try using distilled or rainwater for sensitive plants like Calatheas.
Leaves Losing Their Stripes: This is usually due to insufficient light. Gradually move the plant to a brighter location (but avoid harsh direct sun).
Pests: Spider mites, mealybugs, and aphids can be attracted to stressed plants. Wipe leaves with a damp cloth regularly and inspect new plants before bringing them home. Use insecticidal soap if needed.
Leggy Growth: The plant is stretching for more light. Provide brighter conditions and consider pruning it back to encourage bushier growth.

Propagating Your Favorite Striped Plants

Many striped plants are easy to propagate, letting you make more plants for free. Always propagate from a healthy, well-established plant.

Division: Best for clump-forming perennials like hostas, grasses, and spider plants. In spring or early fall, dig up the plant and gently pull or cut the rootball into sections, each with some leaves and roots. Replant immediately.
Stem Cuttings: Works for plants like Dracaena and Zebra Plant. Cut a 4-6 inch stem section below a leaf node, remove the lower leaves, and place in water or moist potting mix until roots develop.
Stolons/Runners: Spider plants do the work for you! Simply peg the little plantlet on the runner into a pot of soil while it’s still attached to the mother plant. Once rooted, snip the runner.

Remember: Variegation can be unstable. When propagating, choose cuttings or divisions from the most stripy parts of the plant to ensure the trait carries over.

FAQ

Why is my striped plant turning all green?
This is called reversion. The plant isn’t getting enough light. The green parts produce more energy, so the plant prioritizes them. Prune out the green growth and increase light exposure.

Are plants with striped leaves harder to grow?
Not necessarily, but they often have specific light requirements to maintain their stripes. They can also be slightly more prone to sunburn on their pale sections. Once you understand their needs, they are just as easy as other plants.

Can I put a striped leaf plant in full sun?
It depends entirely on the species. Agave and some grasses love full sun. But many tropical houseplants and shade perennials (like hostas) will scorch in hot afternoon sun. Always check the specific plant’s requirements.

What causes brown edges on the striped parts?
The pale variegated areas are more sensitive. Brown edges are typically from low humidity, chemical sensitivity (to water or fertilizer), or physical damage. Try increasing humidity around the plant and using filtered water.

Do striped plants grow slower?
Often, yes. Because they have less chlorophyll for photosynthesis, their growth rate can be slower compared to an all-green version of the same plant. This can be an advantage, meaning less frequent repotting or pruning.

Incorporating plants with striped leaves is a surefire way to add depth, contrast, and year-round beauty to your spaces. By choosing the right plant for your light conditions and following these simple care tips, you can enjoy their visually striking striped foliage for many seasons to come. Start with a tough spider plant or a hardy striped hosta, and you’ll soon be hooked on the unique appeal of these remarkable plants.