Question
Hi. Last summer, we had this great herbiscus
(spelled right?) plant that had a half-
dozen + blooms a week. It was big and fluffy
with green leaves and growth. I decided to
take it in for the winter, so I put it
in the basement and nursed it along for 6 months.
I think I did good. Although many of the
leaves turned yellow and fell, many green
leaves stayed on the plant, now back outdoors.
It seems to be thriving. Stems are growing.
Lots of light green buds everywhere.
QUESTION:
--Only a few of the leaves, All sturdy and
shiny, are turning white. I never heard of
green leaves turning anything but yellow
or brown. What is making some of the leaves
white and green leaves? What did I do wrong?
Thanks in advance.
--Max/Chicago

Answer
Max,
I suppose your plant could be producing some varigated shoots - these are called "sports" and this is one way new varieties of plants are formed. (Someone notices a "sport" and clips it off, roots it and propagates more, and a new cultivar of plant is born.)

It might also be that the plant is quite root bound and so the leaves are not getting the nutrition they need to be green.  I had a bamboo turn white one time for this reason.  If you think this might be the case, pop the plant out of the pot and see of the bottom is a tight circle of roots.  If so, cut or loosen the roots with a knife or your fingers, and place the plant in a larger pot with new potting soil.  Feed with a liquid fertilizer (chemical or fish-seaweed) after the plant has been in the new pot for a week or two.

I hope this helps!
C.L. Fornari