My ten year old patch of variegated comfrey all came up green a few years ago. I know to snip out branches of shrubs that revert but what can I do to the whole plant? It used to light up the corner but now looks like very drab and weedy. They still bloom. There are probably 20 plants there. The conditions have stayed the same semi-shade, if anything there may be more light than before.
Is there a magic solution?

Doug says this is what we call “reversion” and yes, many variegated perennials are not stable. The solution is – at the beginning when you first see them – to dig out the green-only plants. Compost them leaving only the variegated ones.

The green leaved perennial flowers will be the strongest and will overpower the variegated ones (more chlorophyll production etc) so once you leave it, it will overpower the others over several years.

I have a variegated daylily that does exactly this – I have to be vigilant every year to whack out the green plants.

I did run a trial and the green leaves didn’t throw another variegated shoot (it’s been four seasons now) so once you’ve lost that variegation, you won’t likely bring it back. I won’t say “never” because stranger things have happened but I’d clearly say “don’t hold your breath on it”.

Variegated perennial flowers are like that I’m afraid – some revert more easily than others but most do it to some extent.

If you can identify one shoot that’s still golden, then dig/divide it out this fall or very early next spring (hoping it has the strength to come back next year or survive the winter).

Plant it on its own. Dig out the green and discard – they’re not doing the job for you and deserve to be compost.

If no variegated leaves showing at all – dig and discard the patch – pull all seedlings for the next few years and replace this perennial plant with something else.

There is no magic wand on this plant problem – just constant vigilance.

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