When you think of plant leaves, chances are you think of them as green, but there are many gorgeous plants out there that display leaves with different bright, bold colors. So, what are the most unique indoor plants with green and pink leaves?
Some of the best plants with green and pink leaves include the waffle plant, rex begonia, lady valentine aglaonema, and rose-painted calathea. These are great for brightening up your living space.
In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about why some plants have pink leaves, and we’ll feature eight of the best green and pink houseplants. We’ll also feature some tips on how to keep them looking colorful and healthy.
Why Do Some Indoor Plants Have Pink Leaves?
Some indoor plants have pink, instead of green, leaves because they contain plant pigments called anthocyanins.
These pigments cause plants to display a variety of colors on their foliage—they are quite common in the plant kingdom. Interestingly, they play a role in attracting pollinators to the plant, as Frontiers reports.
How to Take Care of Pink and Green-leaved Plants
If you have a pink and green-leaved plant, you will want to ensure that you keep it in a sunny spot so that its gorgeous pink color doesn’t start to fade.
However, the care you give your plant will vary depending on the specific type you have. Some plants with pink-green leaves want a lot of sun, while others can end up being burned by too much light.
8 Indoor Plants With Green and Pink Leaves
Here are some beautiful and unique house plants with pink and green leaves. These plants come in a variety of pink colors, such as hot pink and pastel pink.
We’ve also included some instructions to follow to ensure that you care for the plants properly so that they continue to display their beautiful brightness.
1. Rose-Painted Calathea (Calathea Roseopicta)
This plant has striking leaves that look painted on, hence its name. The leaves display pink stripes from the leaf midrib, which is also pink. The stripes and midrib slowly turn white when the plant reaches maturity.
Unlike some other striped plants, these have a border around the edge of the leaves that can be in a darker or lighter color than the stripes.
When looked after properly, these leaves can reach up to about 30 inches (76.2 cm) in height, which makes them highly noticeable and perfect for brightening up dull areas of a home.
To care for your rose-painted calathea, keep it in an area of the house where it will get bright but indirect light. It needs to be in moist soil, but ensure that it has good drainage. A peat-based potting mix is ideal.
I’d recommend toyporpor sphagnum peat moss, which is available from Amazon. It’s a blend of peat moss, vermiculite, rice husk charcoal, coco coir, and perlite, encouraging greater airflow for plant roots.
2. Pink Homalomena (Homalomena Rubescens)
This indoor plant has heart-shaped leaves that are green and pink in color. But, you can also find variegated plants that are yellow.
Pink homalomena is really easy to care for, as it can thrive in low levels of light. You should ensure that its soil is moist, though. Every few weeks, you can give it a diluted fertilizer to encourage its growth.
What makes this homalomena plant so special is that its pink and green colors can appear as big blocks of color on the leaf or show up as splotches.
Some plants have primarily green leaves with small areas of pink, while others are mainly pink with touches of green, so no two plants will be the same.
3. Flapjack Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Luciae)
If you love the idea of a plant that displays darker tones of pink, the flapjack kalanchoe is a good choice. This succulent grows fleshy paddle-shaped leaves that turn green with pink edges. It gets its name because of how its leaves stack on top of each other, as Wisconsin Horticulture reports.
As long as you protect this plant from the very cold temperatures in winter and provide it with enough light, your flapjack kalanchoe will bloom late in the winter all the way to spring.
You’ll see a magnificent flower spike rise from the rosette’s center that can be up to six feet (1.8 m) in height, which is quite a showstopper.
4. “Lady Valentine” Aglaonema
This type of plant has large oval-shaped leaves with dark green margins and splashes of hot pink, making it an eye-catching addition to your home.
To ensure your lady valentine plant grows healthily and looks vibrant, make sure you give it medium light. Ideally, you should place it within about four feet (1.2 m) of a sunny window.
Avoid putting it in a very bright window, though, as this can be too harsh for it and scorch its leaves, which you don’t want. You should rotate the plant regularly so that you encourage even growth on all parts of the plant.
5. Snow White Waffle Plant (Hemigraphis Alternata)
This plant’s name is misleading. Although you might assume it contains lots of white on it, it actually contains lots of colors. It grows light-green leaves that are white and pink around the edges.
When you look underneath the leaves, you’ll see that they’re magenta in color. So, this indoor plant is a feast for the eyes! If you love multicolored houseplants, you should read our guide, 10 Colorful Houseplants To Brighten Up Your Home.
This plant is called a waffle plant because of its wavy, puckered leaves. To ensure the plant can display its beautiful colors, it needs to be planted in moist soil and half-shade conditions.
Since it’s frost-sensitive, you should bring your waffle plant indoors during the winter when temperatures dip lower than 50 °F (10 °C). Place it in an area of the home that gets bright, indirect light. Keep it away from direct sunlight.
6. Rex Begonia
Although not technically pink, rex begonia comes in a variety of colors. Its variegated leaves display colors such as reddish-pink, green, silver, and purple. If you love plants with red leaves, you should read our guide, 10 Houseplants With Red Leaves.
Choose rex begonia varieties with pink leaves if that’s what you’re looking for—consider varieties such as pink charming, which has pale green leaves with splashes of pink in the center, and Christmas curl, which has lots of dark pink splashes.
Make sure you keep your rex begonia in light, fast-draining soil and bright but indirect light throughout the whole year. When cared for, its leaves can grow up to six inches (15.24 cm) in length.
7. Pinstripe Plant (Calathea Ornata)
This fancy houseplant gets its name because of its thin stripes along its leaves. These can be white or pink in color, providing beautiful contrast against the dark-green leaves.
In the wild, this plant grows in shaded areas underneath other plants, so you don’t want to give it too much sun.
However, when grown indoors, the pinstripe plant doesn’t display its variegation that well, so to ensure its leaves don’t remain solid green in color, you should place it in an area of the home that gets indirect light.
This will keep your gorgeous pinstripe plant looking glossy and will maintain its vibrant pink stripes.
8. Coleus (Coleus)
Coleus is a striking, unique houseplant as its leaves come in a combination of colors, such as pink, yellow, green, and red. Its leaves also have different sizes and shapes, which makes it even more unique.
Although you might think you need to give your coleus plant a lot of sun to ensure that its pink color is on display, if you give it too much sun, the reverse effect will happen—your coleus plant will become green. So, you should aim to provide your plant with morning sun and afternoon shade, as The Seattle Times reports.
Coleus wants a two-inch (5.08 cm) layer of mulch over its soil to keep it hydrated. Water it when the top inch (2.54 cm) of soil feels dry. If your indoor air is too dry, you will need to top up its water more regularly to keep it moist.
Conclusion
Houseplants that bring color in the form of pink variegation on their leaves will cheer up an interior space, and you won’t have to wait until they flower, as they will be colorful all the time.
But, you have to ensure that you keep them looking bright and beautiful, such as by ensuring that you give them enough light. There are various pink-green plants on the market that are worth purchasing, such as
- Coleus
- Rose painted calathea
- Snow white waffle plant
- Rex begonia
If you love house plants that are rare with unique colors, you should also read our guide, 9 Rare and Unique Houseplants To Add To Your Home In 2023.
