How to Use variegation in a Sentence

variegation

noun
  • What is causing the variegation in my liriope to change to all-green leaves?
    — Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Oct. 2021
  • In the cool winter months, the variegation takes on a warm peach color, again against vivid red stems.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Also, keep in mind that the new plants may not have the same color or variegation as the mother plant.
    — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Yellow variegation ages to creamy white against silvery leaves.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Yellow variegation ages to creamy white against silvery leaves.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 May 2025
  • With too much shade, the foliage loses much of its yellow variegation.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
  • Scindapsus, also known as silver pothos, has heart-shape green leaves with silvery, sage green variegation.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Feb. 2022
  • There's beauty to the happenstance of the variegation of branching and leaves.
    — Aleksandra Crapanzano, Marie Claire, 20 Dec. 2012
  • While each type can be quite striking, the different forms of variegation do not always combine well.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2026
  • By far the most common variegation patterns are green with either white or yellow markings.
    — Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 14 June 2019
  • Occasionally, seedlings will emerge with a swirl of white variegation to add to the allure.
    — Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 6 Oct. 2017
  • New leaves often show the strongest variegation.
    — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 2 Jan. 2026
  • The variegation gives plants a silvery effect, while long aching foliage adds plenty of texture to the garden.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
  • The variegation gives plants a silvery effect, while long aching foliage adds plenty of texture to the garden.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2026
  • There are many varieties of hebes with a range of foliages, including variegation.
    — oregonlive, 2 Mar. 2021
  • Others add vibrant golden or creamy white accents through variegation.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 Dec. 2025
  • Cosmopolitan’ arches tall in ribbons of white and green variegation.
    — Amy Merrick, WSJ, 5 Oct. 2018
  • Blossoms don’t differ among varieties, but the variegation on leaves does differ.
    — Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, 2 May 2017
  • Paired with the black hues of the infernalis, pink variegation heightens the plant’s exotic appeal.
    — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Actually there are many cultivars in the nursery trade now, most with some degree of white variegation.
    — Neil Sperry, star-telegram, 30 Mar. 2018
  • However, plants that aren't getting enough light commonly display less variegation, and can even become just plain green.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Many pothos plants have variegated leaves and, if the variegation is missing, there's possibly an issue.
    — Heather Bien, The Spruce, 7 June 2026
  • Golden euonymus, reverting to green, must be pruned to retain the variegation.
    — Neil Sperry, star-telegram, 16 Aug. 2017
  • These shade-loving evergreens come in various sizes and variegations.
    — Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023
  • The pink splotches, called variegation, come from a genetic mutation.
    — Arielle Pardes, Wired, 19 Feb. 2020
  • Hostas planted in sites with too much sun can show more subtle symptoms with an overall bleaching of the color (like a less vivid blue) and less contrast in the leaves’ variegation.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2022
  • Plants produce tufts of carex-like foliage, often with interesting variegation or bold color.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Most of the major growers now mass produce this plant from tissue culture, although not every batch of plants will produce the same levels of variegation.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 11 Aug. 2023
  • New foliage emerges pink and fades to pure white before developing green splotches that give mature foliage lovely green and white variegation.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
  • The variegation is an irregular white streaking and makes quite a striking specimen.
    — Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 14 June 2019

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'variegation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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