deeje, I was hoping you would get an answer...I'm curious too. Don't grow the tricolor myself as the only one I had grew glacially slow and had deformed crinkly leaves so discarded. The chartreuse 'Marguerite' and purple (no label) do fine for me, although for some reason the purple doesn't form tubers.

I'd think if the tricolor formed tubers it would remain stable in variegated form. Did you start with potted plant or just cuttings? Maybe when your weather gets warmer/sunnier the variegation will appear. Please post again if you find your answer/explanation....or if tricolor returns later or not. Thanks, josh

I'm under the impression that reverting is something that happens with sexual reproduction (i.e. seeds) because dominant genetic traits take over.

New plants made by vegetative propagation -- tubers and cuttings -- should be identical to the parent plant.

Ask on the Plant Propagation forum, maybe?

Kristin

Thanks, josh and girlndocs, for your replies. The vines have gone through a sudden growth spurt with our warm days, and are now 18-24" long. It's glossy healthy new growth, but still solid green. I planted them out with some bright pink annuals, figuring they'll be a nice foil no matter what color they end up being!

Meanwhile, I've seen in local nurseries what look to be infant tricolors that definitely have the coloration already. I bought my vine as a potted plant last year, and am surprised that its offspring are still solid green. Eh, it's healthy anyway!

You know, I'd forgotten but variegated plants do revert...I was watering a variegated Cotoneaster this morning...must be 15 years old, but noticed that for the first time ever there was a 6-inch twig of solid green leaves sprouting from main trunk. Pruned it off and will watch it for more green shoots. But that reminded me that variegation is often unstable even in vegetative growth. josh