This summer, I happened to notice a single variegated leaf on one of the witch hazels in my garden. The plant is Hammamelis X intermedia 'Diane', a hybrid with orange flowers.
It is odd to see a single variegated leaf like this. Is it a virus? If so, why hasn't it spread to other parts of the plant? Is it a mutation? If so, was it just the leaf that mutated- or is the auxiliary bud above the leaf also mutated?
I've had similar mutations in my garden before, only to find that they burn in the sun, or are not stable. My hope with this one is tempered with experience. Next spring, I will prune that branch to the bud above that leaf, in the hopes that the variegation will continue. As I'm typing this, I realize that I need to mark that bud so that I remember which one it is. When the plant loses its leaves this fall, they will all look the same.
I imagine a whole bush with leaves like this. The pattern looks almost like an aerial photograph- with fields and forests. I might have to name it something that pertains to maps- if it turns out to be a keeper, that is.
