The leaf surface with the lightest variegation is indeed more susceptible to sunburn. The pigment chlorophyll functions as though it's nature's sunscreen for plants, and the lighter parts of the leaf have much less chlorophyll, so there's more potential for burn. I'd considered sunburn as a potential cause, but discounted it for a couple of reasons. Rachel said her plant was in a state of quiescence and had just started to grow new leaves. She also didn't indicate it was moved into a considerably brighter spot. Any leaves that existed on the plant prior to any new foliage would have already been conditioned to where the plant is sited; and, any new leaves that come into existence would be perfectly adapted to the photo load wherever the plant is sited. Too, many symptoms related to other issues tend to show up in the lighter parts of variegation, notably, over-watering, a high level of dissolved solids in the soil solution, and toxicities of one or more elements/compounds, particularly fluoride which I don't suspect to be the issue here. Given the info Rachel provided, I'd bet the plant was struggling because of too much water/not enough air in the soil, which limits the plants ability to take up and move water efficiently. Increasing the EC/TDS level of the soil solution by adding fertilizer salts further decreases the ability of the plant to make efficient use of water in the soil, which yields a plant potentially dying of thirst in a sea of plenty ...... at least until the issues are fixed. As an aside, I have a variegated F benjamina forest (a bonsai group planting with more than around 9 trees is referred to as a forest planting - fewer trees are a grove or clump planting) with 15-20 trees in it. It sits on a nursery cart on a cement slab in full sun from dawn until around 7PM and there is no sign of sunburn on any of the leaves ...... but that's not to say the leaves can't burn. They can and the lighter areas will prove more sensitive, just as you suggested. Al

Chemical messengers tell the plant how productive leaves are so plant central can 'decide' if the leaf is worth keeping. A week of darkness is enough to convince the plant the leaves aren't doing their job, so an irreversible shedding process has begun for some or all of the leaves - nothing to be done about that other than allowing Mother Nature to have her way, and be very careful not to over-water. Fortunately, if you don't over-water, the plant should recover nicely, and the new leaves it puts on will be pristine and perfectly suited to the light level where the plant is sited. I would recommend that you start using a "tell", which will tell you if it is/isn't time to water. More about using a "tell". Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support good root health, which is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to a build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Al

Peat moss & Perlite are not what this plant needs. Peat is a KNOWN problem. Pls read further on what this plant needs before re-potting. For one, you're missing a SOIL component. Why do you want to repot this? Sorry, but I think you're in way over your head & you'll regret repotting it w/ such incomplete info. I think you're really overreacting, it doesn't look dying AT ALL in my opinion. Checking for moisture just 2 inches down doesn't tell you conditions at bottom of pot. Pls search this site for watering using a 'tell'. Pls. allow time for others to respond.

Hi! Is the leaf stem brown or yellow, or withered? If so, the plant might be dropping the leaf. Sometimes they will drop a leaf (even a new leaf) because of stress, like over watering. How much/how often are you watering it? Have you moved it to a different spot in your home? Also, it might just be normal. Plants acclimate to new living places differently. If the other leaves look fine, this one might just be a little different. Either way, best wishes! :)