The white portion of their otherwise green leaves makes Monstera deliciosa 'Variegata' to an exotic and expensive houseplant. Read here how to keep the leaves white and prevent Monstera variegata from turning green.
In a nutshell
- white spots attributed to gene mutation
- contains less chlorophyll in the leaves
- Plant turns green in locations that are too dark to improve photosynthesis
- Changing location in a bright place can prevent greening
- leaves that have turned green do not turn white again
contents
- cause of greening
- prevent greening
- frequently asked Questions
cause of greening
If Monstera variegata suddenly turns green and the decorative white part on the leaves decreases, the plant is in the wrong place. In most cases it is too dark and therefore has problems with photosynthesis.
We explain the problem:
- Plants use photosynthesis to survive and grow
- need chlorophyll for this
- contained only in green parts of the leaves
- more chlorophyll needed for photosynthesis in dark locations
- Plant begins to adjust leaves
- they turn green
A notice: Not only plants like the Monstera variegata, but all plants with white or variegated Leaf parts need a particularly bright place to keep the decorative leaves and not to turn green.
prevent greening
To prevent Monstera variegata from turning green and losing its decorative whiteness, you should place them in the best possible place. Here's how to do it:
- choose a very bright location
- without direct sunlight
- Leaves would burn here
- set up plant lamps in winter
- in summer, daylight in a bright place is usually sufficient
Unfortunately, once the leaves of a Monstera variegata have turned green, there is nothing you can do. A retrospective "whitening" of the sheets is unfortunately not possible.
Tip: If the leaves without a white component bother you, you can of course remove them.
frequently asked Questions
When the Monstera variegata turns green in winter and new leaves with white content appear again in spring and summer are trained, then the plant is in a location that offers enough light in summer, in winter though not. If it doesn't bother you, you can leave the plant there, because this is not a disease. Otherwise you have to remedy the situation in winter so that the leaves keep the white spots throughout.
There are different varieties of Monstera that look very similar in leaf shape, but not all of these species have a white part. So it may well be that your Monstera is not the "Variegata" but another variety that has evergreen leaves.
There are not many types of plants that have a white or colored part in the leaves. But the leaves serve a very specific purpose, because the plants either want to confuse enemies or attract certain insects. If you see white spots on the leaves of other, actually green varieties, you should prick your ears and examine the plants for vitiligo or care in general rethink.
There are about 50 chloroplasts in a leaf cell. These form the chlorophyll. If the leaves of some species, such as Monstera variegata, are partially white, then they are here the chloroplasts mutated over many millennia and pass this mutation during cell division further.
