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During the growing season

The period of time when an individual plant is in active growth. This will depend on the local climate and light levels, and can vary between different plants, although it is broadly from spring to autumn. you can instantly recognise reverted shoots as pure green growths emerging from among the branches of a variegated

Variegated means having leaves or other plant parts with streaks, blotches or patches of different colours. Typically, these would be a combination of two colours, such as green and gold or green and white. plant. As these shoots contain more chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is a natural green pigment responsible for capturing light energy from the sun and converting it into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. It is found inside the cells of leaves and stems in structures called chloroplasts. than variegated ones, they are more vigorous and can eventually take over the plant.

This is mainly a problem with variegated trees and shrubs, but can also affect coloured Phormium hybrids, with plants starting to grow pure green leaves. Also variegated plants such as hollies can produce all white or pale yellow shoots, but these are very weak and do not take over in the way that green ones do.

Variegated

Variegated means having leaves or other plant parts with streaks, blotches or patches of different colours. Typically, these would be a combination of two colours, such as green and gold or green and white. plants are generally selected from a sport, or mutation , of a pure green plant. The variegated part is then propagated by cuttings, grafting

This involves joining the roots of one plant to the stem of another related plant, so they fuse together to form one plant. There are various methods, all requiring great skill. Grafting is mainly carried out by commercial growers to combine one plant’s qualities of flowering or fruiting (the upper section or scion) with the vigour or resilience of the other (the roots or rootstock). Fruit trees are often grafted, along with a few ornamental shrubs and trees, and in recent years grafted vegetable plants (mainly tomatoes, but also chillies, cucumbers, aubergines, etc) have become available. or division to retain its features. However, the mutations within these plants are not always stable and can be prone to ‘reverting’ back to pure green shoots.

Virus infections can cause a form of variegation

Variegated means having leaves or other plant parts with streaks, blotches or patches of different colours. Typically, these would be a combination of two colours, such as green and gold or green and white. . Very few variegated plants can be raised from seed as reversion is usually a growth disorder and not a genetic

Genes are small sections of DNA that code for particular traits. During sexual reproduction, genes of both parents are mixed to create a genetically different offspring. Plants grown from seed may not be 'true to type' and look like their parents, but genetic variation can be beneficial, creating new, interesting characteristics and sometimes improving resilience to environmental conditions or disease. On the other hand, plants grown from cuttings are genetically identical to their parents. one.

Shoots that have reverted are much more vigorous than the variegated

Variegated means having leaves or other plant parts with streaks, blotches or patches of different colours. Typically, these would be a combination of two colours, such as green and gold or green and white. plant and should be pruned out completely or cut back into wood containing variegated foliage.