By definition a variegated plant is one whose tissues vary in color. In the garden, variegated plants can lighten up a normally dark landscape. In landscape design, variegated plants are often used as the center of attention or as a focal point in the landscape.
Read More about Variegated Foliage Plants
Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'
Item #: 369
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China, Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x amourifolia 'Twisted Tongue'
Item #: 13065
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave applanata 'Cream Spike'
Next crop available: 11/19/2021
Item #: 7241
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 4" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave bracteosa 'Daddy Longlegs'
Item #: 1922
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave 'Desert Diamond' PP 26,384
Item #: 9457
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave desmettiana 'Joe Hoak'
Item #: 7137
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Unknown
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave isthmensis 'El Chichon'
Item #: 9577
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave 'Kissho Kan Nishiki'
Item #: 7617
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x leopoldii 'Painted Nails'
Item #: 11099
Zones: 8a to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave lophantha 'Splendida'
Item #: 8014
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 11" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave multifilifera 'Starshine'
Item #: 9346
Zones: 8a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x nickelima 'Shark Bite'
Item #: 9575
Zones: 8a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave nizandensis 'Double Stripe'
Item #: 10638
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 4" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave obscura 'Red Skyline'
Item #: 6071
Zones: 8b to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parryi 'Border Guard'
Item #: 2948
Zones: 7b to 9b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parryi ssp. huachucensis 'Excelsior'
Item #: 7868
Zones: 7b to 9b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parviflora 'Pin Up Girl'
Item #: 10802
Zones: 9a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parviflora 'Pinpoint'
Item #: 9821
Zones: 9a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave potatorum 'Becky'
Item #: 10792
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave potatorum 'Bluewinds'
Item #: 9340
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave potatorum 'Glow Light'
Item #: 10277
Zones: 9b to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave potatorum 'Snowfall'
Item #: 11705
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 16" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave 'Ripple Effect' PP 30,281
Item #: 3607
Zones: 9a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave schidigera 'Royal Flush' PP 31,138
Item #: 14272
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave schidigera 'Shiraito no Ōhi'
Item #: 7921
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave simplex 'Snow Devil'
Item #: 10015
Zones: 9b to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave 'Snow Glow'
Item #: 10640
Zones: 9a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave 'Sun Glow'
Item #: 12501
Zones: 9a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave titanota 'Banana Peel'
Item #: 9348
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave titanota 'Snaggle Tooth'
Next crop available: 10/15/2021
Item #: 13801
Zones: 9a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave titanota 'X-Rays'
Item #: 11077
Zones: 9a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave victoriae-reginae 'Kizan'
Item #: 8834
Zones: 8b to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave victoriae-reginae 'Ring of Gold'
Item #: 8795
Zones: 9a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave victoriae-reginae 'Tora Fu'
Item #: 8599
Zones: 8a to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Ajuga tenorei 'Princess Nadia' PP 31,028
Item #: 15031
Zones: 4a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 3" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Italy
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Alocasia cucullata 'Yellow Tail'
Item #: 7588
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Burma/Myanmar, India
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Alpinia pumila
Item #: 8542
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Alstroemeria 'Princess Fabiana' PP 17,991
Item #: 9555
Zones: 7b to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Arachniodes simplicior 'Variegata'
Item #: 1428
Zones: 7a to 9b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: India
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Arisaema sikokianum Silver Center
Item #: 2528
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter, Fall
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: Bare Root / 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aristolochia fimbriata
Next crop available: 10/08/2021
Item #: 3031
Zones: 7a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Argentina, Brazil
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Arum italicum 'Scottish Silver'
Item #: 9265
Zones: 4a to 9b
Dormancy: Summer
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Europe
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Arundo donax 'Peppermint Stick'
Item #: 6677
Zones: 6a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 144" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mediterranean Europe
Pot Size: 2 qt. (1.9 L) ?
Asarum fauriei var. takaoi 'Ginba'
Item #: 5622
Zones: 4b to 8a
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 2" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Asarum forbesii 'Venus'
Item #: 13283
Zones: 5a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter, Fall
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Asarum 'Setsu Getsu Ka'
Item #: 7614
Zones: 5b to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 3" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Asarum splendens
Item #: 720
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aspidistra elatior 'Akebono'
Item #: 1813
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aspidistra elatior 'Asahi'
Item #: 2538
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aspidistra elatior 'Fuji-No-Mine'
Item #: 7064
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aspidistra elatior 'Lennon's Song'
Item #: 4349
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aspidistra elatior 'Okame'
Item #: 2314
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aspidistra elatior 'Stars and Stripes'
Item #: 7522
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aspidistra grandiflora 'Big Spotty'
Item #: 9408
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: Vietnam
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aspidistra minutiflora 'Spangled Ribbons'
Item #: 8429
Zones: 8a to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 32" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aspidistra mushaensis 'Spotty Dotty'
Item #: 1943
Zones: 7b to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 26" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: Taiwan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aspidistra pulchella 'Stretch Marks'
Item #: 7059
Zones: 8a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aspidistra sichuanensis 'Gold Lancer'
Item #: 9915
Zones: 7b to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 22" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aspidistra sichuanensis 'Golden Freckles'
Item #: 9333
Zones: 7b to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 22" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Aspidistra sichuanensis 'Spek-tacular'
Item #: 8593
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 32" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
More Information About Variegated Foliage Plants
What is the definition of a variegated plant?
Variegation is defined at the phenomenon where parts of a plant leaf, stem or fruit have zones whose color varies from the surrounding tissue or from normal tissue. Variegation can be part of a plant's adaptation to its environment where the color patterns attract pollinators or seed dispersers to the plant. For example the purple chevrons seen on Curcuma or the purple spots on the stems of Amorphophallus. Or a plant may be variegated due to a genetic flaw in a particular tissue that prevents the production of the normal green pigment chlorophyll...like Hostas and Agaves with yellow leaf edges. Or variegation can be caused by viruses or other disease organisms.
(Article excerpt from Leaves that Light Up the Garden):
Variegated plants are most appreciated by serious plant collectors, probably because of their uniqueness. If everyone has a green form of plant , then the plant collector naturally wants to have the variegated form, often simply to be different.
Some gardeners like the patterning in the leaf...usually the arts and croissant crowd. Designers often like the ability of variegated plants to lighten up a normally dark landscape. In a landscape design, variegated plants are often used as the center of attention or as a focal point in the landscape.
Inquiring minds want to know what qualifies as a variegation. Variegation in plants is defined as the normal green portion of the plant leaf being replaced by white, cream, yellow, or occasionally other colors, which may be in the form of blotches or stripes. The variegations can occur on the edge of the leaves (marginate variegation), or in the center of the leaf (medio variegation.) Variegated plants which have neat regular leaf margins of white or gold and tend to be the most accepted by gardeners.
Less accepted by gardeners are variegated plants whose foliage is streaked with uneven patterning. These plants are often highly prized by plant collectors and completely shunned by most other gardeners. I must admit that most of these plants have foliage that sometimes resembles a classic case of micronutrient deficiency. The most common example is that of the variegated canna lily (Canna Nirvana ...syn Minerva). The strangest of variegations of course are the horizontal banding, seen in some of the ornamental grasses.
Now I hope you are ready to give a variegated plant an even break. Don't try to collect everything variegated, but instead use the variegation as a design tool to highlight not only the variegated plant, but the rest of the garden also. Careful placement, integrating both texture and color can make variegated plants an essential element of the garden.
See also our short articles on variegated plants, variegated leaves, variegated agave and check out our variegated agave photo gallery.