Thanks for clarifying!
Jennifer, that would depend on the type of variegation. In a book I have called
Variegated plants by Susan Condor, it says,
"Variegated plants originate naturally as random seedlings, or as sports - mutant variegated shoots on otherwise plain green plants. Some, such as Abutilon pictum 'Thompsonii', are virus-induced, in the same way that the streaked colours of 'Bizarre' tulips result from a harmless virus.
In red-or purple-variegated plants, chlorophyll, the green pigment responsible for photosynthesis and vital for non-parasitic plants' survival, is masked by other pigments, anthocyanins. Yellow and white variegations are caused by imperfect or absent chloroplasts, the granule-like plastids within a cell which contain chlorophyll.
In a white- or yellow-edged leaf, the green pigment functions normally in the inner layer of leaf cells, but the outer layer lacks chloroplasts, making the edges white, or contains a preliminary version of chlorophyll, protochlorophyll, creating yellow.
A yellow- or white-centered leaf, with green edges, has a defective inner layer of leaf cells. The attractive pink, red or russet spring flushes that some variegated leaves have result from anthocyanins protecting the vulnerable new growth from harsh ultraviolet light rays. Autumnal flushes result from an accumulation of sugar in the leaf tissues, caused by a drop in night temperatures which triggers the production of anthocyanins and anthoxanthins.
The intensity of leaf colour is affected by the amount of light available. There are exceptions, but generally, variegated plants with glaucous foliage, such as rue and certain hostas, tolerate more sun than all-green kinds. Those with purple, maroon and brown variegations colour most intensely in sun, often becoming dirty green in shade. Yellow-variegated leaves colour best in full sun or light shade. White- and cream-variegated leaves, such as variegated apple mint, tend to prefer shade, especially where the soil is dry. With those that are happy in sun or shade, variegation is often sharpest in sun, but if it is combined with dry soil, smaller leaves and more compact growth result."
Assuming the reversion isn't just variegation being invisible from low light levels, reversion can occur in the same way variegation occurs - randomly. Some plants are known to revert, like Tradescantias and Vincas, and the CW is that the variegated version isn't as strong or vigorous. So if the reverted sections aren't removed, they can overwhelm the variegated.
I wish I knew more about it too. Variegated plants are my fav, most of mine are.
The Wiki article on variegation is helpful also for determining what type of variegation a plant has.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V...
