Why are my leaves turning variegated?
Variegation happens when a plant doesn’t produce enough chlorophyll to turn the entire leaf green, and nicely variegated plants are a nice, decorative addition to your home. However, plants only produce variegation under certain conditions, and they could revert back to completely green leaves if the environment isn’t right.
Why do some plants have variegations?
Many plants we keep in our homes, however, do not consistently appear variegated in nature (as this would make them more visible and less able to photosynthesize), so these variegations have been propagated and/or cultivated by us humans. Each type of variegation can tell you a lot about the plant, how it can be propagated, and its care!
Can variegated leaves be propagated?
Viral variegation can prove fatal to the plant and may infect other plants in the area. If you are lucky and get a variegated leaf to mutate in an otherwise stable plant, you can attempt to propagate that mutated leaf and carefully cut back any new reverted growth to encourage more variegation. Can Variegation Come Back?
What is a variegated plant?
The term “variegated” comes from the word variegatus in Latin which means composed of various colors. This beautiful array of colors is caused by some of the plant’s cells lacking chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants that works to convert light into energy the plant can use.
What causes more variegation in plants?
Variegation can happen for a few reasons, the most common reason being a cell mutation of the plant from the lack of the green pigment found in chlorophyll. The plant's variegation can be inherited (genetic) or can occur randomly (chimeric). A variegated plant can turn back to its original form of all green foliage.
What does it mean if a plant is variegated?
Variegation is a term that is used rather loosely in the plant world. When it comes down to it, any plant displaying multiple colors can be called variegated. The word Variegated comes from the latin word variegatus, which means “made of various sorts or colors.”
Is variegation in plants bad?
Variegation in plants is the equivalent of vitiligo in humans. That gardeners select it for visual appeal is obvious. That naturalists reject it is natural. But the really best reason for variegation is that it allows gardeners to have a plant which in its full green form is TOO invasive and TOO vigorous.
What is the purpose of variegation?
Variegated leaves help capture "sun flecks." Yellow or red portions of the leaf epidermis also allows the plant to capture the green end of the white-light spectrum. As for the variation of leaf-color to attract pollinators to flowers please consider...
Can you force variegation in plants?
A. Variegation is not easily induced and can't be done so at home. Best to get a cutting of a variegated plant from a friend or pass your's on in order to keep the variegated plant love flowing.
How do you encourage variegation?
Place the plant in full sun to encourage variegation. Variegated plants need more sun than solid green plants because they don't have as much chlorophyll to absorb sunlight. If you're growing a variegated plant, leave it near a sunny window or a bright spot on your property so it absorbs enough sun to stay healthy.
Can reverted variegation come back?
It is not possible to reverse the loss of variegation, but you can usually keep it from taking over an entire plant.
Can a monstera turn variegated?
Is It Possible for Regular Monstera to Develop Variegation? Although uncommon, regular Monstera can develop variegation over time. A friend of mine got lucky where one of his Monstera Deliciosa cuttings start to show Albo variegation. The chances of randomly developing a variegated Monstera are only about 1 in 100,000.
Why are variegated plants so expensive?
Essentially variegated plants have less surface area to photosynthesise with and produce the sugars they need for growth and repair, hence they usually need more light compared to entirely green plants and typically grow much, much slower. This is the basis of why they are currently so sought after and pricy!
How can you Variegate a plant?
The more traditional and stable way to achieve variegation is to take cuttings of the branches that have more blotchy variegation in the leaf rather than the all-white form (has no chlorophyll) and just keep building the numbers of plants. This process takes a lot longer to produce volume.
Does temperature affect variegation?
Among all the leaves examined, the percentage of leaves exhibiting variegation in plants grown at 25°C differed significantly from that in plants grown at 18°C (Table 2, P 0.01). These results indicate that lower temperatures promote the regeneration of variegation in the leaves of variegated Japanese butterbur plants.
What causes pink variegation?
It turns out that the pink color was chemically-induced and not permanent. Manufacturers were using a chemical that temporarily prevented the plant from creating chlorophyll, producing pink-colored leaves. Once the chemical wears off (within approximately 6 to 12 months) the leaves revert to green.
Are variegated plants good?
It can add interest among a lot of plain green foliage – in front of a hedge, for example, or among shrubs; a large, variegated shrub can act as a focal point. Variegation also helps to lighten up shady places – plants with white, cream or gold markings stand out best.
Why are variegated plants so expensive?
Essentially variegated plants have less surface area to photosynthesise with and produce the sugars they need for growth and repair, hence they usually need more light compared to entirely green plants and typically grow much, much slower. This is the basis of why they are currently so sought after and pricy!
What is the difference between variegated and non variegated?
Variegated leaves are differently coloured leaves. They have green parts as well as non-green leaf parts. In comparison to normal green colour leaves, variegated leaves rarely occur in nature. The variegation is due to the presence of different kinds of tissues.
Are variegated plants rare?
As we said, variegation is very rare, so your chance of having a plant randomly producing variegation is about 1:100'000. So in order to get a variegated plant from a Monstera Deliciosa, you would have to make 100'000 cuttings and produce new plants.
Why do plants have variegated leaves?
Plants develop variegation as a result of viral infection, genetic mutation, or nutrient deficiency. Variegation may also be chemically induced, but this rarely stabilizes, causing the plant to inevitably revert.
Why do plants use variegation?
It has been suggested by a single study that some plants could use variegation as a defensive mechanism to ward away pests that think the plant is already infected with a disease.
What Causes Variegation?
In short simplicity, variegation is differently colored patches in the leaves and occasionally stems of plants. Often, variegation occurs as a lighter color than the rest of the plant.
Why do variegated plants revert to non-variegated form?
When cultivating variegated plants, it’s not uncommon for the mutation in the chlorophyll – the cause of most variegation – to become revert to its non-variegated form when exposed to non-ideal environments.
What is the name of the type of variegation that occurs in plants?
Also commonly called “natural variegation, ” this type of variegation occurs not from mutation, but from natural patterning in the plant. Calathea spp. is an excellent example of this type of variegation, as the natural patterning is encoded in the plants DNA and passed down to the next generation automatically.
What is variation in plants?
Variegation in plants is highly sought after in the horticultural and houseplant community. These plants, with unusual colors in splotches across the leaves, are considered unique and often find their way into the houseplant community.
How to keep a plant from variegated?
Prune off new reverted leaves. Pruning off new leaves that appear reverted can help you maintain the variegation you have. With any luck, the plant will begin producing new leaves that are variegated as well, especially if you provide the plant with enough light. Minimize temperature shock.
What causes variegated leaves on plants?
Viral variegationis caused by infection. It is stable as long as the infection is present, but not necessarily good for the plant. The one infection that I am most aware of is Dasheen mosaic virus (DsMV), which can affect many species of plants and often expresses as a feathering pattern along the veins of leaves.
Why do plants have variegated colors?
This beautiful array of colors is caused by some of the plant’s cells lacking chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants that works to convert light into energy the plant can use.
How to care for variegated plants?
Because chimeric variegated plants are unstable mutations, a change in conditions (especially not enough light) can cause the plant to revert to green. The plant needs these green areas to convert light into energy and if it isn’t getting enough light, then it needs more surface area to absorb as much light as it can. To survive, it will ditch those beautiful variegated areas for the more efficient green.
Why are chimeric variegated plants called mutants?
Plants with chimeric variegation are often described as mutantsbecause it is cell mutations that cause the variegation. Because they are randomly occurring, these patterns are not stableor consistent. To maintain the variegation you generally have to propagate it from a variegated piece of plant.
Why is chimeric variegation not predictable?
Plants with chimeric variegation are often described as mutants because it is cell mutations that cause the variegation. Because they are randomly occurring, these patterns are not stable or consistent. To maintain the variegation you generally have to propagate it from a variegated piece of plant. Even then, it isn’t guaranteed to remain stable!
What is a blister on a plant?
Blister or reflective variegationis a type of variegation formed by air pockets that exist between the outer leaf layer and the inner pigmented layer of the plant . When light hits the air pockets, it creates a shimmery, reflective patch that is quite stunning. Often these areas can seem sparkly or silvery, even.
Why cut off all green parts of a plant?
Horticulturists also recommend cutting off all-green parts of variegated plants because once the plant begins to produce fully green foliage it will continue to revert to maximize energy production. Removing those sections should retain the plant’s ability to produce variegated foliage as long as the other conditions it needs are available.
Variegation
You've probably seen online, there's a lot of hype at the moment about variegated everything. Variegation is a term applied to plants with patches of colour on their leaves and stems other than the typical green. If you're trying to ID your Monstera or want to learn more about different Monstera species, this article might be more helpful:
Why plants are green
The green colouration of plants comes from the contents of their cells, they have structures called chloroplasts which enable them to conduct the chemical reactions involved in photosynthesis.
Reversion and too much variegation
Frequently variegated plants revert, meaning they stop producing non-green colouration and any new foliage is pure green. The flipside of this the production of extreme variegation such as entirely white leaves. These will be unable to photosynthesise and if all new growth is white, the plant will die.
How to get variegated leaves?
The more traditional and stable way to achieve variegation is to take cuttings of the branches that have more blotchy variegation in the leaf rather than the all-white form (has no chlorophyll) and just keep building the numbers of plants. This process takes a lot longer to produce volume. Look at the plants stem and try and cut back to the point where there is some white or green variegation, being white on one side and green on the other (for varieties like pink princess it could be a light pink and darker brown on opposite sides of the stem) If you were to cut back your plant from this point it could be an indication that your leaf may unfurl with some variation (could).
What happens if a plant does not have the variegation gene?
However, if a plant does not have the variegation gene (we made that term up) then changing conditions will not make a scrap of difference. As expectant plant parents, it is with anticipation that we watch each new leaf slowly unravel to reveal it’s unique patterns and colours.
What is chimeral variegation?
It is a random mutation where a plant contains two sets of DNA code and this means it is more difficult to have a stable form. The best way to get more stability is to do vegetative cuttings and it is still difficult to get Chimeras to grow true to form even using tissue culture. And yes the V ariegated Monstera deliciosa is one such chimera.
Why are my Philodendron pink princess leaves brown?
Often times the variation is unstable and this is why some species, such as Philodendron Pink Princess have such variation in their variegation. Some leaves are all pink, some leaves are pink and brown and some are just brown. Sometimes the juvenile leaves will not have strong variegation but some will become pinker as they age.
Why do my plants turn green?
From time to time, you will see a variegated shrub that will produce one green branch. This is referred to as reverting, which means it is going back to the original plant. The plant may do this as a survival tactic - a protective device that allows the plant to adapt or return to a more successful form. Waterlogged plants may also turn back and new shoots often come out green.
What is it called when a plant leaves turn white?
Occasionally a plant will produce leaves with white or cream blotches in regular or irregular patches - this is called variegation. This variation is a random chance and infrequently happens.
Can waterlogged plants turn back?
Waterlogged plants may also turn back and new shoots often come out green. This green branch, having more chlorophyll is a much stronger grower and would eventually dominate the rest of the shrub. It's not possible to reverse when this happens, but you can stop it from taking over the rest of the plant.
Why are leaf variegated plants attractive?
People find this leaf variegation attractive, so they try to breed plants that have variegations patterns that are particularly pleasing. So, in addition to being a coping mechanism for light changes, it’s also a reproductive aid, the attraction for humans being analogous to the scent and colors of flowers that attract pollinators.
What is a variegated leaf?
A variegated leaf is one that features at least one other color besides green. Yellow, cream and white are the most common colors found on variegated leaves, but many others are possible. The additional color may be focused around the leaf's edge or appear in veins, spots, stripes or patches on the leaf.
How to produce a variegated monstera?
naturally Otherwise the only way one can produce a variegated Monstera is by buying a cutting from an already variegated plant or if a normal Monstera is showing these signs of mutation,
How to breed variegated plants?
Then you can begin to propagate the sport using cuttings or tissue culture.
How does chlorophyll help plants?
Usually it’s an adaptation that allows plants to deal with different light levels by losing chlorophyll in certain areas , thus keeping itself from being overwhelmed by too much light.
Why do leaves change color?
Variation in leaf color occurs because of a lack of the green pigment chlorophyll in some of the plant cells. It is usually the result of a cell mutation.
Why do plants turn colors?
It’s either a natural quirk of their genetics or a virus was introduced to the plant. Sometimes the genetic reason is there because it serves an evolutionary beneficial reason. Other times, the genetics exhibit a random mutation and the colors come out wonky. Sometimes that wonky mutation is stable from one generation to the next. Many cases though, it’s not a stable mutation and the plant slowly reverts back to “normal” colors as it ages.
What does it mean when a plant is variegated?
But if we exclude human intervention, variegation just means the plant can’t photosynthesise as much and will grow more slowly. All the other plants will grow quickly, so it can either die or revert to green to make the most of the light.
What is a variegated plant?
A variegated plant is a plant that has different zones of colour on the leaves.
Why is my Philodendron pink?
Philodendron Pink Congo on the other hand, is treated with a chemical that causes the plant to go pink. If you keep treating them with the chemical (which a lot of plant youtubers claim they know the indentity of but I er, don’t) they’ll stay pink. But once you stop, the pink will revert to green, and you’ll be left with a green plant.
What do new plant parents go through after starting their collection?
There’s a rite of passage that most new plant parents go through a few weeks after starting their collection: desperate desire to purchase a variegated version of each of these plants.
What happens if no one buys a plant?
If no one’s going to buy the plant, there’s no point in growing it.
Do varigated plants grow faster?
Variegated plants don’t have as much chlorophyll as green ones, so if they don’t get enough light, they might struggle to grow fast enough to climb trees and get closer to the sun . Every plant that’s of a similar age but is all green will be able to photosynthesise more and grow faster.
Does Thai constellation have a variegated plant?
Thai constellation have the variegation built right in. If the plant decides it’s not getting enough light, it doesn’t have the option to produce all green leaves. Mine just refuses to grow if there’s not enough light (it grows super quick if there is though!)
Why are plants not variegated?
Plants with unstable variegation would prefer not to be variegated, because the more green they have one their leaves, the more they can photosynthesise, and the more they can photosynthesise, the more energy they’ll have, and the quicker they’ll grow.
Why do plants revert to their non-variegated form?
This is every variegated plant owners worst nightmare, especially if the plant was expensive and/or rare.
Why are variegated monsters genetically engineered?
The variegation is built into their genetic makeup because they’re engineered by humans and don’t exist in the wild. Not the case for ‘proper’ variegated monstera (albo borsigiana). They can occur in the wild, and can just… happen. If you buy a baby monstera it MIGHT turn out to be variegated.
What plants have white stripes?
This is still in the plant’s genes, but it can also revert. So plants like Albo Monstera, variegated peace lilies, and variegated Alocasia. You can see white (or yellow, or pink) stripes of variation travelling up the stem of the plant. The more variegation in the stems, the more in the leaves (in general).
What does it mean when a plant has different colors?
Anyway. Variegation just means that the plant exhibits different colours. I THINK that it occurs naturally in plants in the same way that albinism occurs in people and animals. There’s a gene-level difference which causes differences in pigmentation.
What is sport variegated?
Sport variegation is when a leaf randomly grows with a patch of variegation. Typically, the level of variegation is low, but it’s still there. I have a teeny patch on my Florida Green, but I couldn’t call the plant variegated.
How to tell if a plant is not getting enough light?
Look for other signs that it’s not getting enough light, such as leggy or stunted growth. Reactions to temperature. Reverting is probably a survival technique, and more producing chlorophyll is pretty much the only weapon your plant has in its arsenal. Try to make sure your plant doesn’t get too hot or too cold.
Why do plants lose variegation?
Lack of sunlight is a major reason that plants lose variegation, so keeping your plant in a sunny spot is also an important way to preserve variegation.
Why do variegated plants need more sun than solid green plants?
Place the plant in full sun to encourage variegation. Variegated plants need more sun than solid green plants because they don’t have as much chlorophyll to absorb sunlight.
How to preserve variegated plants?
1. Keep the plant potted so you can move it around. Variegated plants are sensitive to light and temperature changes, so leaving them in the same spot could make preserving the variegation harder. It’s much better to leave the plant in a pot that you can pick up and move around.
Why is sun important for plants?
Sunlight is important because in the shade, the plant produces more chlorophyll to absorb as much sun as possible. This is why plants lose variegation if they don’t get enough sun.
Why do you prune non variegated leaves?
Prune the non-variegated leaves so they don't overgrow the other leaves. Since non-variegated leaves have more chlorophyll than variegated ones, they can grow quickly and overtake your plant. [10]
How to prevent variegated plants from stoking?
Quick temperature snaps, both cold and hot, can shock the plant and cause a loss of variegation. Keep your plant in a spot where the temperature is consistent and avoid large swings. This should prevent the plant from losing variegation.
How to remove nonvariegated leaves from a plant?
Find a node, which is the slightly thicker part of the branch, and clip the branch just above it. Repeat this to remove any non-variegated leaves.
