Problems with variagated ceanothus
 

My variagated ceanothus variety Silver Prince, is growing almost wild in
my front garden here in North Cornwall. Unfortunately most of the
growth is a of a plain green leaf with little or no variagation.

It has flowered on the green growth and looked OK. But we did choose
the plant for the variagation.

If I was to cut the plain growth out would the plant survive it seeing
as how most of the recent growth was of the plain green type leaf?
And would that cause it to produce variagated growth instead of the
plain green growth?

Peter

--
It is necessary for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph.

Attributed to Edmund Burke 1729 - 1797

Problems with variagated ceanothus
 

In article ,
says...

My variagated ceanothus variety Silver Prince, is growing almost wild in
my front garden here in North Cornwall. Unfortunately most of the
growth is a of a plain green leaf with little or no variagation.

It has flowered on the green growth and looked OK. But we did choose
the plant for the variagation.

If I was to cut the plain growth out would the plant survive it seeing
as how most of the recent growth was of the plain green type leaf?
And would that cause it to produce variagated growth instead of the
plain green growth?

Many variegated plants will put out some plain green-leafed growth,
reverting to type.

All-green leaves are more efficient at photosynthesis than yellow or
variegated white-yellow-green leaves; enabling plain green branches to
grow faster and stronger than the feebler variegated ones, and stage a
takeover (competing for the water and nutrients supplied from the root
system) Eventually, the variegated sections may be out-competed for
light and nutrients and the plant may revert entirely to all-green.

The solution is to cut out ALL reverted (green) growth as soon as you
notice it; prune right back to a variegated stem, behind where the
reversion occurred. Because your ceanothus has made a lot of unchecked
green growth, it's going to look a bit gappy but if you really want to
save the variegation this is the only way. Without competition, the
variegated parts stand some chance of new (variegated) growth and
recovery.Keep an eye out for any backsliding later.

Other plants that often throw out an all-green stem (in my garden),
are hardy tricolour fuschia and variegated buddliea. Both are easily
kept in check by pruning out the green stem asap, unlike those pink-
striped phormiums. Once pink phormiums start to revert it's a losing
battle.. and the non-variegated growth is a really ugly mud colour.

Janet

Problems with variagated ceanothus
 

On 24/07/15 07:52, Peter James wrote:
My variagated ceanothus variety Silver Prince, is growing almost wild in
my front garden here in North Cornwall. Unfortunately most of the
growth is a of a plain green leaf with little or no variagation.

It has flowered on the green growth and looked OK. But we did choose
the plant for the variagation.

If I was to cut the plain growth out would the plant survive it seeing
as how most of the recent growth was of the plain green type leaf?
And would that cause it to produce variagated growth instead of the
plain green growth?

I'm not sure what you've got, but there is no variegated ceanothus
called "Silver Prince". There is one called Ceanothus griseus var.
horizontalis "Silver Surprise", and a few other plants - not ceanothus -
called "Silver Prince".

If you do have Ceanothus griseus var. horizontalis "Silver Surprise", I
am surprised that it is showing so much reversion to all green leaves. A
search on Google revealed almost no mention of reversion in a variegated
ceanothus. I grew Ceanothus "Zanzibar" for around 10 years and as far as
I remember never saw any all-green branches. As the other answers
suggest, the only way round the problem with your plant is to cut out
the all-green branches. Other than that, dig it up and get another
variety of variegated ceanothus.

--

Jeff

Problems with variagated ceanothus
 

On 24/07/2015 10:57, Janet wrote:
The solution is to cut out ALL reverted (green) growth as soon as you
notice it; prune right back to a variegated stem, behind where the
reversion occurred.

Not just variegated. My corkscrew hazel keeps producing healthy straight
shoots, and I keep cutting them off. Seems kind of cruel to cut off the
healthy bit, and leave the diseased corkscrew part.

At least, I assume the corkscrew is a virus?

Andy

Problems with variagated ceanothus
 

In article ,
lid says...

On 24/07/2015 10:57, Janet wrote:
The solution is to cut out ALL reverted (green) growth as soon as you
notice it; prune right back to a variegated stem, behind where the
reversion occurred.

Not just variegated. My corkscrew hazel keeps producing healthy straight
shoots, and I keep cutting them off. Seems kind of cruel to cut off the
healthy bit, and leave the diseased corkscrew part.

At least, I assume the corkscrew is a virus?

A genetic mutation, afaik.

I am betting your corkscrew hazel is grafted onto normal hazel
rootstock, and the straight growth comes from below the graft .

Janet

Problems with variagated ceanothus
 

Peter James wrote:

My variagated ceanothus variety Silver Prince, is growing almost wild in
my front garden here in North Cornwall.
snipped
Thanks for all of the replies. Now to talk my wife into drastic
pruning.

Peter

--
It is necessary for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph.

Attributed to Edmund Burke 1729 - 1797

Problems with variagated ceanothus
 

In article ,
says...

On Sat, 25 Jul 2015 07:22:29 +0100, (Peter James)
wrote:

Peter James wrote:

My variagated ceanothus variety Silver Prince, is growing almost wild in
my front garden here in North Cornwall.
snipped
Thanks for all of the replies. Now to talk my wife into drastic
pruning.

Peter

I see you asked about this twelve months ago
http://tinyurl.com/q5a6lhc after it got badly frost- and wind-burnt. I
see no point in repeating whatever you did then, because it obviously
didn't work. Do something different this time!

Chris, I still haven't managed to root cuttings of my ceanothus for
you, sorry!

Janet.

Problems with variagated ceanothus
 

Chris Hogg wrote:

On Sat, 25 Jul 2015 07:22:29 +0100, (Peter James)
wrote:

Peter James wrote:

My variagated ceanothus variety Silver Prince, is growing almost wild in
my front garden here in North Cornwall.
snipped
Thanks for all of the replies. Now to talk my wife into drastic
pruning.

Peter

I see you asked about this twelve months ago
http://tinyurl.com/q5a6lhc after it got badly frost- and wind-burnt. I
see no point in repeating whatever you did then, because it obviously
didn't work. Do something different this time!
I'm sure you're right. We did cut out the wind and frost burnt material
and it rewarded us by growing green leaf rather like green was the in
fashion colour. Maybe it's due for replacement rather than nurturing
and caring. Show it who's boss!
Peter

--
It is necessary for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph.

Attributed to Edmund Burke 1729 - 1797