RFG, You should see the effects it had on a Norway Maple. It restarted from the roots and looked like a Japanese Maple. The effects didn't last long. The following year it reverted back to normal. This also happens to the weeds that survive the first application I put around the house. Looks nice enough to keep but later reverts back soon. It was along this line of thinking that made me suspicious of the new variegates out on the market. Since it didn't effect the parent then showed up in the pups, maybe it will stay. Hopefully anyway.
Stush

Stush has the right idea here. It is preposterous to think that Roundup promotes lasting variegation. What yellowing occurs is the 'death' of chlorophyll in plant cells. I have seen this yellowing of leaves in Florida where Roundup was used to kill S. metallica which is considered an invasive weed. Roundup is taken in through the leaves and has nothing to do with altering the apical meristem (growing tip of the rhizome) where real variegation actually occurs.

Round Up is known to induce variegation in a stable growth pattern. Round up damages the apical meristem and in some robust plants they do not totally kill it but yield repetitive chlorophyll loss in its patterns.
A variegated plant is simply repetitive chlorophyll-lacking tissues in a repetitive pattern. Many factors are known to induce such variegation: High light from the sun, radiation, other chemicals, even extreme temperatures, viruses, etc.

Massive variegations seen in so many plants, in so many species and hybrids all of a sudden suggests an induced variegation to occur.

RFG,
This was a big secret that you let out of the bag. I was inquiring about this very thing. I knew you would get the heat from this. Round up goes into the plant and kills roots and all, so it does enter all of the plant structure. Weaken plants that do not die will be changed. I just never saw any lasting effects on the hardy plants in zone 6, tropical's are another group altogether. It does show variegation in ivy plants. These are hard to kill types.
I was thinking along the lines of 'Clorox Bleach' . This also is used to kill unwanted weeds. I figured my Sans were bleached white/yellow. The one sided yellow and other side normal is a tip off.
Thanks again for the info.
Stush

Juan Chahinian did't think so. I just finished reading a article that he pulished in one of his journals, which explains it very carefully how to do it. I will go along with his conclusions. I know others who tried this method it didnt work. Good luck to you however.

Rainforest Guy-
I assume the variegation still only occurs in a small percentage of the treated plants, yes? Do you apply the Roundup the standard way.......e.g. spraying the leaves, or another. Also, are most Sans varieties equally resistant to the Round-up? Are larger, thicker leaved plants more resistant than thinner leaved Sans?

First of all, not every plant is affected. Some plants are just immune to the effects of any herbicide. The word here is herbicide defined as any chemical or action which kills the activity and proliferation of a particular plant.
Clorox also works great as many who treat seeds in clorox prior to in vitro or even community pot grown seeds have also exhibited variegation to occur.

People must understand the concept of variegation. It is not some magical plant that fairy dust is added to produce. A variegation is merely a repetitive pattern in the way the chlorophyll is distributed in the developing meristem/cells of a plant. It has nothing to do with quantum physics or any laws of nature. It just happens. It also happens in the wild and so long as it is not detrimental to the health of a plant it becomes part of its genetic code DNA. Every plant has their unique method of diversification and this is brought about changes in the environment.

The effects of any herbicide may not be immediate and many will be affected in the next generation offshoots or meristems from the affected plants. We've all seen effects of RoundUp on some plants that produce variegations that are persistent and repetitive.

Of course no one will say this is how you get variegation, why would they? If I were the only guy who had the goose that laid the golden egg, why would I advertise how to get the goose? Does this person produce and sell any variegated plants for sale? Is the prices he sells them for on the pricey side? What part of this train of thought are you not understanding? I have been growing plants for over 40 years and I've seen it all. Unlike those only interested in the status quo, everyone who knows me knows that I have done everything my way, the way I taught myself how to grow it. Yeah, you won't find any of my thought in mainstream journals or sciences of horticulture, but I have proof in my personal collection.

LOl! Yes, I realize the person is not going to give the goose that laid the golden (or variegated?) egg. But since you brought up the Round-up.....I thought I would probe further. In any case, some interesting plants you have shown there.

Note that it isn't a genetic change in DNA (genetic mutation of chromosomal DNA) here.....simply killing off the chloroplasts in one layer of cells or creating a chimeric mixture of normal (having green chloroplasts) cells and those without chloroplasts. The white/yellow portions are suriving off the "food" made by the green portions. The Roundup (or bleach or heat or whatever) must be damaging enough to kill the chloroplasts (in some portions of the apical meristem) but not so damaging enough to kill the cells/plant beyond its ability to regrow.
Keep posting photos RainForestGuy.....interesting Sans!

The idea of variegation that many people have is that it is inherent in a plant's DNA. It doesn't have to be part of the DNA code and this process can occur even if the plant does not breed true (some variegates come true from seeds, some not). I find them to be reoccurring in monocots (Clivias, Rhapis, Bromeliaceae, and yes, Sansevierias).
Variegates are very commonly seen in the tissue culture process of meristemming and sometimes as a result of in vitro cultivation even where splicing is not involved. Perhaps the treatment with clorox in the disinfecting process may have something to do with this, not sure. But whatever the case, it is partial destruction of cells in the meristemmatic tissue that affects if a plant to produce "variegation."

As even variegates obtained through other -natural ways, they too can lose the variegation and produce normal growths as treated and RoundUp treated plants do. It ois by way of man that we can keep this variegation stable and we have the controlled ability to do so. The laws of nature will be to revert back to a normal growth, this is normal for the plant to do so. And you will often see a vigorous growth of all green sprout out among the variegated portions of the plant. This is normal and if we want to keep the variegation strong, we would remove this from the variegated candidates from developing.

How true RFG, I have seen this in my hosta collection.
Thanks Stush

Hey Stush!
I also have an interest in Hosta! Great plants and I have dabbled with pollinating and seeds. In Hosta you need streaked pod parents.......plants whose leaves look much like RFG's masoniana above in variegated pattern, to get variegated seedlings. I am sure that masoniana above...or any similar variegated Sans, would produce a good percentage of variegated seedlings if you got seed from it.

Also a keen interest in hostas (addicted) and that was the first thing I thought was that it looked liked the streaked hostas I have seen. Interesting to see what happens.

We should have our own Hosta site. If not already here. With hostas, we can grow outdoors, and in zone 6 i love it. Anyway, I grew many hostas from seeds and even with the striped seed pods, all I ever got was regular green. Some yellow types came out and were larger than most of my hostas.

Salt keep out weeds as well, my oxalis that I was trying to get rid of in the driveway had white on the top of the leaves and green on the under side. Now I have variegates coming up from my green plants and I don't know why I don't use pesticides on my Sansevieria. If you tell me why I can make a fortune. Could it be from a pruning shear what has a virus on it? (I'm serious) P.S. I had a friend try out the Round up Trick it didn't work for either of us. Norma

Norma,
I know there is a trick, I don't have one, or it. I think some of my latest Sans had it done to them. As said in other posts "Who's going to let the Golden Goose out that lays the Golden egg or variegated leaf". I thing RFG has just touched upon some aspect of this. That's why I started the post 'What is Variegation?".
Stush

Hey Stush. I just got back to this thread. Great landscaping and some great Hostas there, including your seedlings!! GW does have a Hosta forum, more active in the warmer season. Where in PA are you? I grew up in Bucks County and worked at Russell Gardens in Churchville in my much younger days.....great perennial nursery run by great people!! I guess this thread has gotten a little off track. may need to try some mild Roundup on some extra Sans. Still, Norma has grown just about every Sans and has years of experience....if it didn't work for her, I am not so sure it will but always worth a try.

Hay WoodNative, From the Pittsburgh area. I did started posting in the 'Hosta' forum. Posted more pictures. I just got in from Florida. No hosta down Clearwater. Got a lot of pictures of areas I traveled. I will leave the variegation to others for now. I have enough to take care of. My collection is complete as long as RFG doesn't show any more pictures of his collection. I think I see some real winners there I like.

hey guys !

id love to see some updates in how some of these plants are coming along

i know this was long ago but i had some reactions to a few herbicides and i cant really find anyone else willing to talk about these things now haha

ah yeah i assumed so i was just hoping maybe someone continued to use a herbicide or had experience with new ones plus this is the only thread i could find im a chemistry student and i have been experimenting on plants lately and i cant seem to find anyone who wants to talk about it haha

Here's a link to help explain some other ways to distort the plants to produce variegation, if that is what your looking for.

[PDF] Chimeras and variegation: patterns of deceit

I have a better information but can't seem to find it right now.

thank you so much! i greatly appreciate it :)