Plants with Green and Yellow Leaves – A Striking Addition to Your Garden

Plants with variegated foliage that feature both green and yellow leaves can be a beautiful addition to any outdoor space. The contrasting colors make these plants stand out, providing visual interest and livening up gardens, borders, containers and more. In this article, we’ll look at why some plant leaves are bi-colored, popular examples to try, design tips and care for green and yellow leafed plants.

Why Leaves Can Be Part Green, Part Yellow

Leaves that are more than one color are described as being variegated Variegation occurs when chlorophyll, the green pigment responsible for photosynthesis, is unable to develop fully in some areas This results in leaves that have patches, margins or splashes of yellow, white, pink or red, creating a multi-hued effect.

There are a few possible causes of variegation

• It can occur naturally as a genetic mutation that continues through propagation.
• Some plants have been selectively bred to introduce and stabilize variegation.
• Environmental stresses like viruses, minerals deficiencies, temperature extremes or pruning can sometimes trigger variegation.

Whatever the underlying cause, variegated leaves provide unique ornamental value and visual interest to many garden plants.

Benefits of Variegated Green and Yellow Foliage

Including plants with bi-colored yellow and green leaves in your garden and landscaping offers many advantages:

• Provides year-round color, not just when the plant is in bloom.
• Brightens up shady areas where darker foliage would get lost.
• Creates striking contrast against solid green leaves.
• Draws attention to interesting textures and architectural shapes.
• Blends well with colorful annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees.
• Complements and highlights blooms and colorful flowers.

Using variegated plants is an easy way to add multi-season interest to garden beds, borders, containers and more by mixing up foliage colors and patterns.

Popular Plants with Green and Yellow Leaves

Many different plants produce bi-colored yellow and green leaves. Some top options to try are:

Shrubs and Trees

• Japanese Maple – Young leaves emerge pink, white and green. Cultivars like ‘Butterfly’ and ‘Pink Filigree’ have vibrant variegation.
• Dogwood – Foliage on yellow twig dogwood and variegated kousa dogwood is edged in white or yellow.
• Euonymus – Evergreen shrubs like ‘Golden Euonymus’ and ‘Moonshadow’ have bright golden variegation.
• Rose of Sharon – Hibiscus cultivars like ‘Sugar Tip’ produce green and white variegated leaves.

Perennials

• Hosta – Many varieties like ‘Patriot’ and ‘Francee’ have green leaves with white margins.
• Heuchera – Cultivars like ‘Lime Rickey’ and ‘Citronelle’ have chartreuse to golden hues.
• Lamium – ‘White Nancy’ has green leaves splashed with yellow spots.
• Ligularia – ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’ has purple undersides and yellow-green upper sides.
• Lilyturf – ‘Silvery Sunproof’ features green leaves with white striping and can handle sun.

Annuals

• Coleus – Available in endless leaf colors and patterns like green edged in yellow.
• Flowering Kale – Ornamental cabbage relatives like ‘Peacock Purple’ have ruffled, colorful leaves.
• Calibrachoa – Also called million bells, these petunias offer many yellow and green leaf varieties.

Design Tips for Green and Yellow Foliage

Variegated plants make eye-catching focal points. Use them strategically to highlight specific areas:

• Plant a variegated shrub or tree as a specimen against a plain backdrop to make it pop.
• Underplant yellow and green leaves with dark mulch to intensify their brightness.
• Group several variegated varieties together for high contrast interest.
• Place bi-colored plants in front of solid green ones to stand out.
• Use lime green plants to lighten deep borders or complement purple foliage.
• Try bold tricolors like kiwi vine and tricolor beech for dramatic color.
• Complement leaf colors with flower colors. Yellows pair well with blues, purples and pinks. Lime greens match reds, oranges and yellows.

Caring for Green and Yellow Leafed Plants

While most variegated plants have similar needs as their all-green counterparts, there are a few exceptions:

• Give them some sun protection since variegated leaves lack protective chlorophyll and can scorch more readily.
• Monitor soil moisture closely as improper watering quickly damages variegated plants.
• Provide supplemental nutrients to replace those used for chlorophyll production.
• Prune out any branches that revert back to solid green growth.

With a little extra care, plants boasting bi-colored yellow and green foliage will thrive, lighting up your garden with their vibrant, eye-catching colors. Try adding some to your outdoor space and enjoy their beauty for years to come.