Your Views on Variegated Trees

I just feel like starting a shit stirrer thread this evening....and I also have a question or two. So, without further ado.....

1. Do you like them as bonsai or not, and why?

2. Do you own any?

3. Do they really grow slower, less photosynthetic ability?

4. Does the variegated portion really get attacked by pests amd disease more often?

5. Do they frequently revert?

6. Do you think there are any real "pros" (vs cons) to them?

7. Do you know of any high quality examples of a variegated bonsai?

My personal opinion is negative....mostly because I think the foliage is too distracting....and kinda ugly.

Thoughts?
Opinions?

Do not own any. Good to practice grafting, that’s about it!

I had a scrawny variegated bougie, it never did thrive and then just crapped out.

Carol 83 said:

I had a scrawny variegated bougie, it never did thrive and then just crapped out.

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Did it ever flower for you?
If so, what did it look like?

Acer palmatum 'Butterfly'- May new growth


Acer palmatum 'Butterfly'- Summer mature foliage


Summer foliage

I don’t like them.
Except when they look cool. Like that maple.
I killed a variegated bougie, I don’t think I’ve killed a non variegated thorny bugger.

William N. Valavanis said:

View attachment 231949
Acer palmatum 'Butterfly'- May new growth

View attachment 231950
Acer palmatum 'Butterfly'- Summer mature foliage

View attachment 231951
Summer foliage

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Wow, Bill, that's a beauty.
Far and away the best example I've seen.

How about the growth rate and pests?

just.wing.it said:

Did it ever flower for you?
If so, what did it look like?

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It flowered once, pink. It was a scrawny thing, more white than green leaves. I never took a picture of it, it didn't last long. Unusual for a bougie, I wouldn't get another variegated one.

Crawforde said:

I don’t like them.
Except when they look cool. Like that maple.
I killed a variegated bougie, I don’t think I’ve killed a non variegated thorny bugger.

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I know, me too. The variegated one seemed really weak for some reason.

If you want to talk about acer palmatums, variegated varieties are surprisingly vigorous and sun tolerant. Like pines with yellow foliage, they make for great color in the landscape but not so much as bonsai. Nevertheless, I have and Ukigumo on its own roots that might not be all that bad in a bonsai form



There is also a "Higasayama" cultivar that I think would make for a fabulous bonsai. I recently stumbled onto the fact that Peter Warren has one and that I am right, it is a fabulous bonsai! So, it is possible for variegated foliage to work, but not likely, IMHO.

0soyoung said:

If you want to talk about acer palmatums, variegated varieties are surprisingly vigorous and sun tolerant. Like pines with yellow foliage, they make for great color in the landscape but not so much as bonsai. Nevertheless, I have and Ukigumo on its own roots that might not be all that bad in a bonsai form

There is also a "Higasayama" cultivar that I think would make for a fabulous bonsai. I recently stumbled onto the fact that Peter Warren has one and that I am right, it is a fabulous bonsai! So, it is possible for variegated foliage to work, but not likely, IMHO.

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Wow, that's a wild look!
Very cool.

I much prefer my trees not to be variegated because I want them to look natural, as much like real trees as I can. That said, I do have a variegated ficus and it's my only variegated tree. Unless I grow it rather large it's not going to /really/ look like a natural tree anyway because the leaves are too big and as far as I know (I could be wrong) they don't reduce well. I am not very likely to grow it very large but we'll see where it goes over the years. The leaves are pretty. In this case it is a leaf chimera which means it can't pass on the trait to seedlings. It is slow growing compared to regular non-variegated varieties of ficus due to it having a lot of white. The new leaves do emerge pink in strong light that adds to it's attraction.

Good bonsai is good bonsai variegated or not

Variegated foliage is a taste thing. I don't like it on bonsai because the overall effect makes me think "WTF is wrong with that? Must be sick" Pale foliage usually means something's wrong.

rockm said:

Variegated foliage is a taste thing. I don't like it on bonsai because the overall effect makes me think "WTF is wrong with that? Must be sick" Pale foliage usually means something's wrong.

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Haha, yeah....they do give me that vibe too.
I guess if you could have one in the landscape like @0soyoung mentioned, it would be an interesting splash or color.

I guess I don't like them as they look like landscape plants and remind me of perennials too much. Exceptions like Bill V's and Oso's are rare to see.
I have a Sea Hibiscus that has variegated leaves, and it's quite vigorous.

I like the variagated serissa people up here grow, but they have nice small leaves.

Can be cool in the yard, but in Bonsai they usually look like something is wrong with them.

I love variegated foliage - particularly deciduous. I have not noticed any significant difference in terms of health or care.

I have a few in the works, all very young. Aka shigitatsu Sawa, Wilson's Pink, Johnnie's Pink, and a few 'in between' chosen by a local pre-bonsai grower. Picking up Higasayama and a few other variegated cultivars in early May.

Some I have had for a single season, some were acquired in fall, so I can't speak on their growth-rate. (they are all on their own roots)

just.wing.it said:

mostly because I think the foliage is too distracting....and kinda ugly.

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I think that if the foliage gets small enough and dense enough in relation to the overall image of the tree, the patterns of the individual leaves becomes less distracting and you stop seeing the trees and start seeing a forest, so to speak. I always find myself referring back to this walter pall tree, but imagine pink or white blotches on each of these leaves. i think the leaves are small enough, and dense enough, that it wouldn't bother my visual appreciation of the tree as a whole, although it does look good in solid green too no doubt!



Maybe really sparse foliage would be good to? but I can't find a good example with which to visualize it though

here is a picture of the shirt i'm wearing today. it is stitched with red and white fabric, but everyone thinks i'm wearing a pink shirt!