The Ultimate Guide to Variegated Shrubs for Your Landscape

When it comes to adding personality and color to your garden, variegated shrubs are the way to go. These plants with multicolored leaves can bring a whole new dimension to your landscape design. They serve as mid-story focal points, specimen plantings, or even transition pieces between different layers of your garden.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore 23 of the best variegated shrubs that you can incorporate into your home garden. From Abelia to Yucca, these plants offer a wide range of sizes, colors, and textures to choose from. So let’s dive in and discover the beauty and versatility of variegated shrubs!

The Beauty of Variegated Shrubs

Variegation refers to the presence of multiple colors on a single leaf. This can come in the form of streaks, spots, or patches of different hues. Variegated leaves can add visual interest to your garden and make your plants stand out. While some variegation is a result of natural genetic mutations, others are cultivated through careful breeding and selection.

In the following sections, we will highlight 23 variegated shrubs that are perfect for your landscape. Each plant has unique characteristics and growing requirements, so you can find the perfect match for your garden.

1. Abelia

Abelia x grandiflora ‘Kaleidoscope’

• Lime green leaves edged in yellow
• Bronze to orange and red hues
• Full sun to part shade
• Compact size, perfect for containers or mixed beds
• Attracts pollinators

2. Azalea

Azalea Bollywood® ‘Farrow’

• Dark green foliage with cream or silver margins
• Magenta flowers in spring
• Partial sun to shade
• Ideal for containers and borders
• Winter shelter in colder regions

3. Boxwood

Buxus sempervirens ‘Variegata’

• Cream margins on dark green leaves
• Ideal for sculpting into topiaries
• Full sun to part shade
• Deer resistant
• Perfect for formal gardens

4. Cape Jasmine

Gardenia jasminoides ‘Variegata’

• Glossy evergreen leaves with lime and dark green
• Luscious white flowers in spring
• Compact, rounded form
• Full sun to part shade
• Fragrant blooms

5. Chinese Fringe Flower

Loropetalum chinense ‘Jazz Hands’

• Pink and white splotched foliage
• Deep purple mature color
• Full sun to part shade
• Bright pink spring flowers
• Contrasting element in the garden

6. Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster horizontalis ‘Variegatus’

• Glossy dark green leaves with white margins
• Red and pink fall foliage
• Full sun to part shade
• Unique branching pattern
• Ground cover or mounded shrub

7. Dogwood

Cornus alba ‘Crmizam’

• Light green leaves with cream margins
• Chartreuse stems
• Full sun to part shade
• Tolerant of salt and pollution
• Ornamental specimen in mixed plantings

8. Euonymus

Euonymus fortunei ‘Moonshadow’

• Glossy green leaves with yellow margins
• Irregular, rounded shape
• Full sun to part shade
• Petite dimensions, great for borders
• Sets off yellow and red-toned perennials

9. Gold-Edged Winter Daphne

Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’

• Glossy, thick green leaves with yellow edges
• Highly scented red-purple flowers in late winter
• Part shade location
• Compact size, ideal for drifts and mixed groupings
• Bold pops of contrasting color

10. Heavenly Bamboo

Nandina domestica ‘Twilight’

• Bright white splashes on medium to dark green leaves
• Airy growth habit
• Full sun to part shade
• Upright, clumping form
• Contrasts well with green shrubs

11. Hebe

Hebe x andersonii ‘Variegata’

• Gray-green leaves with cream to white margins
• Purple flowers in summer
• Full sun to part shade
• Colorful upright foliage
• Ideal as a specimen or in mixed beds

12. Hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Mariesii Variegata’

• Medium green leaves with cream margins
• Lacecap flowers in pink or blue
• Partial shade location
• Rounded, mounding growth habit
• Romantic cottage garden feel

13. Japanese Laurel

Aucuba japonica ‘Gold Dust’

• Dark green leaves with yellow spots
• Full shade location
• Round shape with dense foliage
• Versatile placement options
• Best for shade gardens and foundation plantings

14. Japanese Pittosporum

Pittosporum tobira ‘Variegatum’

• Thick, glossy leaves with cream margins
• Clusters of fragrant white blossoms
• Evergreen for warm climates
• Large, mounding shrub
• Waterwise and drought tolerant

15. Japanese Privet

Ligustrum japonicum ‘Variegatum’

• Cream leaf margin for depth and texture
• Evergreen for full sun locations
• Dense and dependable hedge
• Tiny white flowers in spring
• Texturally rich backdrop in the garden

16. Leucothoe

Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Rainbow’

• Foliage splashed in cream, green, pink, and red
• Pendant clusters of tiny white blossoms
• Shady location with some sun
• Arching branches with eclectic colors
• Mass plantings for foundation borders

17. Lilac

Syringa vulgaris ‘Aucubaefolia’

• Medium green leaves splashed with yellow
• Fragrant lavender-blue blossoms in spring
• Full sun location
• Commanding presence with mature height and width
• Mass planting or standalone focal point

18. Lily of the Valley Shrub

Pieris japonica ‘Variegata’

• Spear-shaped foliage with cream margins
• Compact size for versatility
• Mass plantings and hedges
• Creamy white margin for playful look
• Deer resistant

19. Oleander

Nerium oleander ‘Variegata’

• Cream-colored margins on spear-shaped leaves
• Fragrant clusters of pink flowers
• Upright, rounded shape
• Tolerance of drought and poor soil
• Versatile for privacy screening or standalone planting

20. Rose of Sharon

Hibiscus syriacus ‘Sugar Tip’

• White-tipped, blue-green foliage
• Flouncy pink double-petal flowers
• Part sun location
• Mid-story mass planting or privacy hedge
• Flouncy pink flowers for summer

21. Spirea

Spiraea japonica Double Play ® Painted Lady® ‘Minspi’

• Vibrant foliage in cream, yellow, and green
• Fuzzy magenta spring blooms
• Full sun to part shade
• Compact size for small spaces
• Deer and drought resistant

22. Weigela

Weigela florida ‘My Monet’

• Cream margins accented by pink on bright green leaves
• Trumpet-shaped pink flowers
• Full sun location
• Low-profile plant for beds and borders
• Deer resistant

23. Yucca

Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’

• Dark green margins, creamy yellow centers
• Bell-shaped cream-colored blossoms on tall stalks
• Tropical evergreen for cold climates
• Bold structural statement in the garden
• Resistant to cold, drought, heat, and pests

Conclusion

Variegated shrubs are a stylish and versatile addition to any landscape. With a wide range of colors, sizes, and textures to choose from, you can create a truly unique and eye-catching garden design. Whether you prefer compact container plants or commanding focal points, there is a variegated shrub for every space and style.

So, next time you’re planning your garden layout, consider adding some of these beautiful variegated shrubs to the mix. They are sure to bring color, texture, and personality to your outdoor space. Happy gardening!