Holly Reversion ?

I have had experience of trying Pete-it`s heart break every time-yet I still persevere......................one day, one day. But I can let you have some cuttings, just PM me your address. They all come back variegated-honest. My garden is blessed by the Valar.

 

Everyone is right to a degree in their answers to variegation, plants that bear variegation are called chimeras it is a genetic flaw and can have several causes (it can be triggered by a virus) it happens when the plants tissue is unable to produce chloroplasts (the bit that makes the plants green).This tissue tends to migrate to the edge of leaves and is usually yellow or white,it cann't survive on its own so any cutting taken off a plant will die.Variegation is an unstable quantity in a plant and a plant can revert back to its normal state.I have had albino seedlings but they do not survive once they grow past the point of using up the seed reserves as they are unable to photosynthesize due to lack of chlorophyll.Variegation can be propagated best by direct cuttings off the variant or from grafting the variant on to a root stock,it can be induced at seed level by introducing a substance called (colchicene) which alters the genetic structure this can be an erratic process giving a variety of results from variegation to biggeror smaller flowers or different colours etc this is plant production at a genetic level a very interesting subject.

 

Only some variegations are due to viruses, that of flamed tulips is a well known example.
You will often see green plants with one variegated branch: that is what breeder are costantlylooking for to (re)produce new varieties.

Look up this page.
http://www.answers.com/topic/variegation