The leaves have a creamy pale green edge on glossy, medium green leaves. Even though very little of the leaf is actually variegated, it gives the plants a whole different feel than their solid green counterparts. Here you are faced with lots of choices. The base color of green can range from dark to light and the contrasting markings on those leaves may be a soft, pale green or a strong, silvery gray. All the leaves are edged with the base color and the main vein is usually dark.
Some varieties now offer white or pink stems.
As plant breeders work with dieffenbachias, they are developing varieties that look almost white. The leaves are huge and marbled with pale green areas. The leaf edges are dark green. Variegated Scheff Schefflera arboricola Unusual splotches of a pale yellow-green adorn these glossy, dark green leaves. As an added treat, some leaves are heavily marked, some are just touched with color and others remain solid green.