Plants Change Color

It’s not unusual for fresh new growth to be a different color than older leaves. You can easily see the contrast on yew, whose new leaves are light green compared to darker mature leaves. The new leaves of honey locust will often start out yellow-green then mature to a darker green.

These color changes are normal. There are some other color changes, however, to which you should pay attention. If your plant is a variety with colored foliage – yellow, purple, black, variegated – instead of plain green, check it periodically for reversions. These types of plants will sometimes produce a stem that has plain green leaves. That stem has “reverted” or changed back to the normal color for the plant. These stems will often be more robust than those with colored leaves and may overgrow the rest of the plant. After a year or two your once highly colored and attractive plant is just plain green.

If you find a stem that has reverted, the cure is simple - just cut it out. There is no way to prevent reversions from happening. Some plants with colored foliage never produce a reverted stem. In some species and varieties, it happens frequently. If you do find a reversion, make a note to inspect the plant a couple of times a year. You need to remove stems that have reverted as soon as possible. The photo is Physocarpus Diabolo®, a black-leaved cultivar with a branch that has reverted to all-green leaves.