updated: July 25, 2021
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| Tradescantia zebrina var. tikal A T. zebrina with natural variegation that does not revert |
Variegation in botany : definition
(1) Variegation in general. Variegation simply refers to a variety of color, usually of a leaf or flower, but stems/trunk, branches and even seeds can be variegated as well. In most cases, the cause of the variegation is difference in the amount of pigment (often chlorophyll) in the plant's structure, anywhere from a total lack, resulting in white to pale yellow coloration (depending on the quantity of the xanthophyllic pigments in the leaf--those without any xanthophyllic contribution will be completely white), to a subtle difference, resulting in various shades of green or another color if another chemical coloration is involved. Plants with petals, carpals or leaves that have multiple colors, even if none are white, are still called variegated. Sometimes the variegation is only a variation in the amount of anthocyanins (usually the basis for most red, purple or pink coloration) and there is no lack of chloroplast output. And sometimes it is a combination of both, as one can see in the incredible variation of colors in the bromeliads, Coleus, Tradescantia cultivars and Huechera varieties.
(2) Yellow and white variegation. Variegated leaves with yellow or white variegation occur rarely in nature. Species with these variegated individuals are sometimes found in the understory of tropical rainforests, and this habitat is the source of a number of variegated houseplants.
(3) Viral induced variegation. Infection by a virus can also be a cause of variegation, and this has been studied by scientists, such as in case of the Tobacco Mosaic Virus. in the Commelinaceae family, a virus-induced variegation is believed to be the cause for the yellow variegated Tradescantia cerinthoides aka: Tradescantia cerinthoides f. glabra 'Aureovariegata'.
The variegated zebrinas'
Currently there are six variegated zebrinas both with natural variegation that doesn't revert, and there are also cultivars with white or yellow variegation, where in two of them the variegation will be lost when they are kept in low light for a prolonged period of time.
| Tradescantia zebrina - table listing the variegated varieties and cultivars | |
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| Tradescantia zebrina with natural variegation | Tradescantia zebrina with white/yellow variegation (cultivars) |
| Tradescantia zebrina var. mollipila | Tradescantia zebrina var. discolor 'Multicolor' |
| Tradescantia zebrina var. mollipila 'Purple Plush' | Tradescantia zebrina 'Quadricolor' |
| Tradescantia zebrina var. tikal | Tradescantia zebrina 'Danny Lee' |
The zebrinas' with naturally occurred variegation do not lose their variegation. The cultivars with white/yellow variegation may revert back to green when kept in low light, with the exception of the Tradescantia zebrina 'Quadricolor', since most of the times, the seemingly variegated green branches will develop again the variegated pattern, when exposed in bright light. More information on each of these Tradescantia zebrina plants (and more) can be found on another post: Tradescantia zebrina : varieties, cultivars, hybrids.
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| Tradescantia zebrina var. discolor 'Multicolor' this highly variegated cultivar will unfortunately lose its variegation and it will revert to a discolor zebrina with faint silver stripes on the green leaves, when exposed in much lower light for a prolonged period of time. |
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| A Tradescantia zebrina var. discolor 'Multicolor' branch with almost complete lack of chlorophyll. Without chlorophyll plants cannot grow on their own. They can only grow for some time when attached to the mother plant. |
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