Reversion and albinism in variegated succulents: causes and how to control them

Introduction

Reversion and albinism in variegated succulents are two common phenomena related to the instability of variegation.

Variegated succulents exhibit a genetic mutation that alters the distribution of chlorophyll in the tissues.

However, this mutation is not always completely stable. As a result, the plant may produce new shoots with two distinct behaviors:

• completely green shoots (reversion)
• chlorophyll-free shoots (albinism)

Both phenomena often appear during the plant's growth and require some intervention to maintain variegation.

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What is reversion in variegated succulents

Reversion occurs when a variegated plant produces a completely non-variegated shoot.

This happens because the non-variegated tissue contains more chlorophyll and can perform photosynthesis more efficiently.

For this reason, non-variegated shoots tend to grow faster and with greater vigor than the variegated parts.

If not controlled, this growth can end up dominating the plant.

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What is albinism in variegated succulents

Albinism is the opposite case.

Instead of producing more chlorophyll, the new tissue completely lacks it.

Albino shoots usually present:

• completely white or yellowish leaves
• weak growth
• inability to perform photosynthesis

As a consequence, these shoots cannot be sustained in the long term and end up dying.

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The problem when it occurs in the main rosette

The biggest problem arises when reversion or albinism affects the main rosette of the plant, especially if it is a plant with a single head.

In this case, two situations can occur:

Complete reversion

The main rosette becomes completely green.The plant will continue to grow, but it will lose its variegation and become a normal succulent.

Complete albinism

The main rosette becomes completely albino. Unable to perform photosynthesis, the plant is doomed to die over time.

For this reason, it is important to act when this change appears.

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How to try to recover variegation

When the main rosette shows clear signs of reversion or albinism, it is possible to try to recover the variegation.

The procedure consists of locating the area of the stem where the tissue change occurs.

Once that area is identified, a cut can be made slightly below, looking for tissue where the variegation is still present.

After the cut, the plant usually emits new shoots from the stem.

If the meristem retains variegated cells, some of those new shoots may recover the original pattern.

However, it is not always achieved on the first attempt.

Sometimes the new shoots present the same problem, and it is necessary to repeat the process until balanced variegation shoots are obtained.

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What to do when the plant has several offsets

The situation is different when the plant has multiple rosettes or offsets.

In these cases, reversion or albinism may only affect part of the plant.

The grower has several options.

Maintain the sprout for aesthetic reasons

Some growers prefer to maintain certain sprouts for the shape of the plant or for visual balance.

Completely remove the sprout

If the overall variegation is to be preserved, the entire stem of the affected sprout can be cut.

Apply the correction technique

The same procedure used on the main rosette can also be applied, making a cut below the area where the tissue change occurs.

This can stimulate the appearance of new shoots with better variegation.

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Why this phenomenon occurs

Variegation is a genetic mutation that alters the distribution of chlorophyll in the growth meristem.

However, these mutations are often cellular chimeras, that is, tissues composed of different cells.

When the balance between these tissues changes, the plant can produce completely green or completely albino shoots.

That is why the stability of variegation can vary between species and cultivars.

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Conclusion

Reversion and albinism are part of the natural behavior of many variegated succulents.

Both phenomena are related to the genetic instability of variegation.

When they affect secondary shoots, they are usually easy to control. However, when they appear on the main rosette, they can compromise the plant.

Acting in time through corrective pruning allows, in many cases, to recover shoots with balanced variegation and maintain the ornamental value of the plant.

If you want to expand your collection and propagate variegated succulents, you can explore our variegated succulents, as well as variegated aeoniums, rare succulents, and classic variegated selections for collectors.

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