I’ve been noticing a trend lately where variegated leaves are celebrated almost unconditionally on these forums. As someone who’s been growing indoor plants for years, this constant praise leaves me wondering if we’re overlooking some important downsides. Variegation is often touted as a unique, aesthetic trait, but isn’t it essentially a mutation that reduces overall photosynthetic capacity? I’ve seen several cases where reliance on variegation seems to come hand in hand with a need for extra care—more light, more nutrients, and sometimes even special propagation techniques.
So, here’s my question to the community: Are we putting too much stock in the appeal of variegated leaves while ignoring the potential issues they bring? Have any long-time growers experienced real drawbacks, like compromised growth or health in their variegated plants compared to non-variegated ones? And if so, what extra measures do you actually take to counteract these problems? I think we need a more nuanced conversation about whether these variegated beauties are worth the extra maintenance or if the hype is just blinding us to their inherent weaknesses.
Looking forward to hearing thoughts based on solid growing experience rather than just surface-level aesthetics.