I've looked for some info on this on the forum but failed to find anything connected so apologies if it has been raised before.
This Elm has produced new growth this spring which seems to be standard Elm variety.
My question is one of many. Is it a common thing to happen with variegated trees and is there anything that can be done to stop it.? Will they revert to variegated over time.? Will defoliating the large leaves help with the next ones produced.?
I've posted a before during winter showing healthy leaves that didn't fall.
It was re-potted for spring. If you look at the close up of pruned branches you will notice that the first few leaves to show on the left were variegated but the more leaves to be produced are not. They are also much bigger.
As far as I know it is not a grafted tree. Anyone with any knowledge about this out there would help. Thanks
Variegated Chinese Elm
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Alan Peck
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Variegated Chinese Elm
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KIRKY
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Re: Variegated Chinese Elm
Basically, Variegated plants are sports of fully green plants.
Variegated plants will have limited amounts of chlorophyll in their leaves because of the lack of green coloring. Less chlorophyll in a plant equals less energy, which is needed for photosynthesis. Variegated plants are generally less healthy and less vigorous than solid green plants. Reverting back to solid green leaves could be a protective way that the plant returns itself back to a healthier form.
Reverting back to green gives a plant a competitive advantage by increasing the plant’s ability to harvest more needed solar energy. More energy means more fuel to produce healthier stronger growth. Once reversion is noticed on a plant you can cut that portion off the plant to help slow the production of solid green leaves.
Once the leaves are fully green you cannot revert those fully green back to variegated. In other words fully green leaves will stay green. Or you can say that the variegated plant is starting to throw a sport of the original green plant it was breed from.
Cheers
Kirky
Variegated plants will have limited amounts of chlorophyll in their leaves because of the lack of green coloring. Less chlorophyll in a plant equals less energy, which is needed for photosynthesis. Variegated plants are generally less healthy and less vigorous than solid green plants. Reverting back to solid green leaves could be a protective way that the plant returns itself back to a healthier form.
Reverting back to green gives a plant a competitive advantage by increasing the plant’s ability to harvest more needed solar energy. More energy means more fuel to produce healthier stronger growth. Once reversion is noticed on a plant you can cut that portion off the plant to help slow the production of solid green leaves.
Once the leaves are fully green you cannot revert those fully green back to variegated. In other words fully green leaves will stay green. Or you can say that the variegated plant is starting to throw a sport of the original green plant it was breed from.
Cheers
Kirky
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shibui
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Re: Variegated Chinese Elm
What Kirky said.
Variegated plants often throw shoots which have normal green leaves. Usually it occurs in one or 2 shoots while the rest of the plant remains variegated. Gardeners usually prune off the green parts to try to retain the colored foliage.
As already mentioned, the green parts usually grow faster and stronger and can eventually overwhelm the variegated parts so cut the green shoots right at the base wherever possible.
Variegated plants often throw shoots which have normal green leaves. Usually it occurs in one or 2 shoots while the rest of the plant remains variegated. Gardeners usually prune off the green parts to try to retain the colored foliage.
As already mentioned, the green parts usually grow faster and stronger and can eventually overwhelm the variegated parts so cut the green shoots right at the base wherever possible.
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