What exactly are variegated succulents and what factors lead to this unique appearance?
Plants usually become variegated after a cell mutation leads to a lack of green pigment (chlorophyll) in some of the plant cells. This causes different colored zones to develop on the leaves and stems of plants. The different zones could be stripes, blotches, spots, or some other pattern. The color changes range from subtle differences in shade to bold, contrasting colors.
Variegated succulents are quite popular with gardeners due to their unique colors. In fact, some rarer varieties can sell for hundreds of dollars! This article discusses about the causes of variegation and how to care for variegated succulents.
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a pigment in plants that is responsible for photosynthesis. Leaves that are darker green have more chlorophyll than their lighter counterparts. White spots on the leaf mean there is a complete lack of chlorophyll in this area. Variegated leaves have an uneven distribution of chlorophyll, causing some areas to appear darker and others to appear lighter.
Chlorophyll has several functions in plants, including photosynthesis and sun protection. Chlorophyll is responsible for a process called photosynthesis in plants, and allows them to convert sunlight into necessary nutrients they need to grow. It also protects the plant from sun damage.
This means the white portions of a variegated plant are more susceptible to sun damage and unable to produce nutrients because they lack chlorophyll.
Therefore, variegated succulents require a bit more care and looking after than their greener counterparts.
Causes of variegation
Variegation occurs in many different species of plants, and can arise due to many different reasons.
Genetic mutation
The most common cause of variegation is a genetic mutation. A mutation is a genetic accident that happens by chance. When a gene in the parent plant is mutated, it can be passed down to offspring, continuing the variegation across generations.
Pigmentation
Chlorophyll can be masked by other pigments, called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are antioxidants that give plants blue, red, purple and black coloring. Anthocyanins are found in blueberries, cherries, pomegranates and tomatoes, and give them their bright colors.
Unlike in white areas of a variegated leaf, red, blue and purple areas still have chlorophyll- it is just masked by these anthocyanin pigments.
Venal variegation
If the veins of a leaf do not have green tissue above them, the veins appear to be white or yellow in color on the leaf.
Viral causes
Certain viral pathogens cause a pattern to appear on the surface of the leaf. In the wild, this infection can often be deadly to the plant.
Some plants are able to survive with this viral infection, allowing people to grow variegated plants with specific appearances.
Defense mechanisms
Some plants may adopt a variegated appearance as a defense mechanism against infestation from insects. The variegated patterns work to convince pests to leave the plant alone.
Visual effects
Some instances of variegation are not due to changes of pigment in the leaf itself. If a plant has an air layer just under its epidermis, light can be reflected from the surface of the leaf, resulting in a silvery or white appearance.
Another visual effect that causes variegation is tiny colored hairs on parts of the leaf.
Variegated plant propagation
If the plant’s color change is due to a genetic variation, you will be able to propagate more variegated plants from the leaves, cuttings, or seeds. Remember to be patient! Variegated succulents take longer to grow than normal propagations because they have less chlorophyll.
Variegated succulent care
Sunlight
While succulents normally love light, variegated species are a bit different.
Remember that variegated plants lack chlorophyll pigment, which protects leaves from sunburn. Therefore, keep your variegated succulent away from bright, direct sun. Variegated succulents do best with indirect light to protect the white parts of the leaf from damage. Midday, during peak sunlight, you might want to move your plant into the shade.
Continuously rotate your plant so that all sides receive sunlight equally.
Sunburned leaves appear dark brown, calloused and dried out. Once a succulent’s leaf is sunburned, it cannot go back to its original form, so it is better to start your plant of with less sun and increase it as needed, rather than putting it out in full sun from the start.
Temperature
Variegated plants are also more susceptible to temperature extremes than their green-colored counterparts. Variegated plants are not cold-hardy and do not do well with frost. Keep your variegated plant at temperature between 65 °F and 75 °F (18 °C to 24 °C).
Fertilizer
While excess fertilizing is harmful to any plant, take extra care to avoid over fertilizing a variegated plant. Normally, fertilizer helps plants create nitrogen. In variegated succulent, an excess of nitrogen can prevent the roots from absorbing water, leading to plant death. You may find that fertilizing may not even be necessary for your succulent at all.
Water
Variegated succulents have the same water needs as any other succulent. This means infrequent soakings are key. Make sure that the top inch of soil is dry before watering. Water about once a week in the summer and once every 3 to 4 weeks in the winter, allowing the soil to completely dry out completely in between. When you water, you want to soak the plant’s soil until water begins to seep out of the drainage hole (if your pot has one).
Soil
As with other succulents, plant your variegated succulent in a well-draining and porous soil mix. Terracotta pots work best for all kinds of succulents.
Variegated succulents FAQ
Can you induce variegation in plants?
Most variegation occurs due to a genetic change in a normal plant. You would need to involve some kind of chemical mutagen or introduce a virus to induce variegation- making it almost impossible (and dangerous) to successfully do this at home.
It is best to leave inducing variegation to the pros. Luckily, some types of variegated succulents are readily available for purchase. If you are lucky enough to have a friend with a variegated plant, you can ask them for a cutting!
Can a variegated revert back to its green color?
Yes. A plant could revert back to its original color for many reasons, including: high light levels, low water levels, or temperature extremes.
In some plants, if one branch or offset goes back to a green color, it outperforms the other leaves that are lacking pigment. This is because the green chlorophyll is able to produce nutrients that the white segment without chlorophyll cannot. Eventually the whole plant can turn back to a green color.
If you provide your variegated succulent with really bright sunlight, your plant might get confused and think it needs to produce more chlorophyll, leading to greener leaves.
If you want to keep your plant variegated, remove any of the solid green growth so that it does not have a chance to outperform the rest of the plant. Look at the conditions your plant was growing in- temperature, sunlight and water frequency. Give your plant some extra care by decreasing the amount of light it receives, keeping it at the correct temperature range (65 °F to 75 °F) and watering more often, if you feel any of those areas may need change.
Why are variegated plants so expensive?
Variegated plants are harder to reproduce than normal plants. When they grow, there has to be just the right balance of green and white on the leaves. A plant that only has white leaves will die because it has no chlorophyll to produce nutrients. On the other hand, a plant with too much green will outperform it’s whiter counterparts and take over. See the problem?
Furthermore, because variegated plants have less chlorophyll, they grow slower and are more sensitive to adverse conditions than their greener counterparts. White portions of the plant are more vulnerable to sunburn because they lack protective chlorophyll and are unable to produce nutrients from photosynthesis.
A combination of these factors adds to the increased price of variegated plants.
Fortunately, not all variegated plants are expensive! Some variegated species are quite common, so you can enjoy these unique looking succulents without your wallet being too mad at you.
I love variegated succulents because they look so unique and stand out in any garden. Each leaf has a different pattern.
What is your opinion on them? Have any more questions about variegated plants I did not answer? Just drop a comment!
To learn more about general succulent care, check out this guide:
