Case of Mendel: White Flowered Loropetalum
Q: My neighbor pointed out a part of my big pink-blooming loropetalum shrub that has white flowers. Why did this happen? Do I have an off-breed loropetalum?
A: It’s common for this to occur. The pink loropetalum originated in China from a normally white-blooming loropetalum. The spray of pink flowers on the white shrub was eye-catching. When horticulturists took cuttings for propagation, they found that the pink ones developed into shrubs covered in pink flowers. These, and other pink- and red-flowering cultivars, were sold widely. Now, years later, your pink loropetalum has developed a bud that blooms white.
When a plant sprouts limbs that look like its genetic parents, it is called a reversion. I commonly see variegated privet hedges that are turning green, like their genetic parent: common privet. On your loropetalum, a bud reverted to its parent and made white flowers. If it bothers you, just prune it out.
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