What’s the problem?
My tricolour wax plant (Hoya carnosa ‘Krimson Queen’) has produced a new vine, but the leaves are solid green. How can I get the variegation back?
Diagnosis
Variegated plants can sometimes produce reverted growth, where new leaves return to their green form. This can happen because the variegation is due to an unstable genetic mutation, so the plant reverts to a more stable, all-green state. The green leaves are more efficient at photosynthesis, so sometimes grow more vigorously than the variegated parts. Unfortunately, once a vine starts producing solid green leaves, it is unlikely to develop tricolour variegation later on.
Prescription
If you want to preserve the variegation, it’s best to prune the reverted vine back to where the last variegated growth occurred. This encourages the plant to put energy into growing more tricolour foliage. Use scissors to trim it close to the base of the vine. If left unchecked, the plant could lose its variegation entirely.
Prevention
Keep your hoya in bright, indirect light. Check regularly and trim off any non-variegated parts to encourage more of the striking tricolour pattern.
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