Beautiful coloured leaves, that's what makes our hearts beat faster!
But what if the bright colours of your plant disappear? The white becomes greener, the greens get yellower or the leaf marks fade? This often has to do with the amount of light a plant receives. In this article I specifically look at the whole leaf that discolours, not the appearance of yellow or brown spots - that often has other causes.
Variegated leaf turning green
At first your plant had those beautiful white spots on the leaves, but slowly you see them becoming ever greener? This is often due to a shortage of light. Plants with white spots, also called variegated plants, need more light than their green counterparts, because they can not generate energy with the white spots. The leaf green has to work harder. If you place your plant in a brighter place, the plant often turns back to its original state.
Fading leaf marks
A beautiful leaf drawing on, for example, a Calathea or Maranta may fade when there is too much light on the leaf. The leaf drawing pales under too many sun rays. Placing your plant in a place with more shade is the perfect solution.
Yellowing leaf
The gradual yellowing of the leaves can have several causes. If your plant gets so little light that it can not make enough energy to maintain all the leaves, then he lets some die, which will first turn yellow. In a few cases it could also be that your plant receives too much direct light. Another cause can be a shortage of nutrients. The new growing season is right around the corner, so if you see new leaves starting to grow, you can give your plant some plant food.
Colour fading in succulents
In succulents fading of colour works a little differently; green leaves can get red edges by giving them a lot of direct sunlight. If they are in a spot with more shade, they can lose it again. The same applies to succulents that have, for example, a purple colour; if they get too little sunlight, they could turn green.
Old age
And sometimes a plant simply lets a leaf die off because it's time to put energy into making new leaves. So, if there is only one older leaf that is discolouring, then there is no reason to worry!