Houseplants are Just Like Pets!

You know how people say, I hope you like dogs or cats, before you visit their house? Before you come to my house, I have to say, I hope you like plants. Because I’ve got a lot of green pals—indoors and out. And I love them all! This includes my indoor avocado tree, Sam.

Such is also the case with indoor gardener Barbara Smith. I recently met Barbara virtually when she wrote to me on the Healthy Houseplants Facebook page about her indoor avocado tree, Mr. Oliver. She’d seen my YouTube video update on my indoor avocado tree, Sam, who’s doing well.

At the time, she thought that Mr. Oliver (pictured above) might be ailing. As you can see, he has some white leaves.

Indoor Avocado Tree Mr. Oliver’s Story

“In September 2018, I moved,” says Barbara. “I was devastated when most of my plants died, including my first avocado tree that I grew from a seed.”

Like a dedicated indoor gardener, Barbara watched some videos about growing avocados indoors and decided that if she gave a new avocado tree a name, she couldn’t possibly kill it. So, Barbara started a new avocado tree from a pit and named him Mr. Oliver. I have to say that naming plants is a great way to ensure their survival! There’s something
about personalizing them that makes them go the distance for you.

Mr. Oliver was growing well, until Barbara noted the white leaves and decided to reach out to me. She was relieved and happy when I replied and let her know that Mr. Oliver is healthy, and special. It turns out that Mr. Oliver is a part albino avocado plant. The white leaves aren’t a disease.

Instead, they indicate that the plant cells lack chlorophyll in those areas. It appears to be a rather rare occurrence among avocado trees, which makes Mr. Oliver really special!

All Barbara need do is continue to give Mr. Oliver, who is now four months old, excellent treatment. In time, he should get more leaves coming out the sides of the trunk that are green. The top may continue to grow out white, which is kind of cool, because it looks like Mr. Oliver has a hat topped with pretty white flowers.

When white leaves on avocado trees are a problem

Of course, there are pests and diseases that can cause white on plants. These include mealybugs. But mealybugs resemble white cotton and attach to plants and feed off them. Here’s a video on my channel about an easy way to get rid of mealybugs.

Other cases when white may appear on an indoor avocado tree include high salinity, which will cause white around the top of pot rims and on the drainage holes, as well as the top of the soil. High salinity can cause root dieback.

Root rot can also cause a plant to begin molding. If you believe the molding is coming from wet soil, stop overwatering and let the soil dry out some. Then repot in a high-quality organic potting soil.

The good news is that none of these latter problems have anything to do with Mr. Oliver. He has pure white leaves with no signs of pests or diseases. Hooray!

Have you had an experience with an albino plant? Let us know in the comments section below.