Canela Standard

Anyone familiar with canelas? I was recently given one that has something wrong with it... yes, that's why it was given to me.
I know it was bone dry... it also has leaves drying on it... they look like they are sun scorched, though this was an interior plant. Not sure if it's somekind of bacteria or what? I've seen one other canela do this... it lost a lot of leaves, then started to show signs of new growth... the plant was then given away, so I'm not sure how it did beyond that.

anyway, if anyone has any experience with canelas, I'd love some advice. thanks.

I don't have any experience with that particular plant, but with any plant if it was allowed to get bone dry that could definitely explain leaves turning brown, drying out, falling off, etc. Given that it dried out so badly I think that's the most likely explanation for the leaves looking the way they do, but there are other things that can cause it too--low humidity indoors, fertilizer burn, sensitivity to chemicals in tap water, and probably others as well. It's highly unlikely that it's a bacteria, sounds much more like a cultural problem to me.

Assuming the damage was caused by being allowed to dry out, all you can really do is keep it watered appropriately and hope for the best. I'd also keep it out of direct sunlight for a little while until it has a chance to recover a bit.

Thanks... that's what I'm doing now... trying to rehydrate the poor thing.
the crazy thing is, the only other time I've seen a canela do this, it was wet... So I have no idea what's going on.

With this particular plant, it looks like the grow pot was crushed at some point, or the plant was dropped? the rootball is very loose in the pot. So, it's losing moisture around the rootball, as well as from the surface of soil.
First day I had it home, I watered well, left water in the saucer... next morning... and we're talking less than 12 hrs later, the water was gone from the saucer! So it was needing water badly. It seems to be holding water a bit longer now though, and I'm thinking I'm going to fill the gaps with more soil.

The symptoms of overwatering and underwatering can often be very similar to each other, that's why so many times people see a plant looking like it needs to be watered, then they water it some more, but it turns out it looked that way because they had already watered too much and then they end up killing it by continuing to water it.

If it looks like a bunch of soil was knocked out of the pot or something I'd add some fresh soil, you don't want the roots hanging out.

It should bounce back, I have mine for about three years now, and it is hard to kill. It looses a few leaves in the winter ( I mean once a week there is a yellow leaf), I think due to dry air, but bounces back in the summer

Well, I just checked on it... I've been keeping it in the garage the past couple of days and I fear it's been too cool for it... It must have dipped down to 45 or so... I gave it a little shake, and it dropped about 90% of it's leaves.
I snipped off anything that looked like it would not be producing new growth, put a little more soil in the pot, and brought it inside. So, we'll see what happens. I see lots of new buds on the tips of limbs, so I'm hoping it will be ok. I guess it's just going to be a little sparse for a while. Maybe if it does ok this winter inside, in the spring I'll nip it back some more and see if it will fill out a bit more.

stogeo,
First off, welcome to Dave's Garden! I see you're new to our community. I hope you get many hours of enjoyment here, and learn much.

I am intrigued with your plant, but totally unfamiliar with it. Do you have a picture?

I tried searching in our PlantFiles for it, but no luck. Also tried Google Search, but no luck there either. Is this a small tree, referanced by "Standard"?

If you could add any Botonical Info to help me in my search, I'd appreciate it.

ecrane, could you help? I know you are a *wealth* of information, have been for quite some time.

milka, I'm wondering if this plant isn't naturally deciduous in it's native elemant, by your description?

Thanks for any info from any of you!
Sasha

Hello, and thanks for the warm welcome

Yes, it is a small tree. It is available as a "standard", generally grown as one trunk with a nice canopy, and "bush"... a few stems in one pot, for a fuller more compact look.
I don't know a lot about them, as I was only recently introduced to them. It is a cinnamomum tree... so in the cinnamon family. I believe they are from Asia, but not entirely sure on that. I believe in its natural habitat it is an evergreen.
I do not have a picture, but you should be able to find some info if you google cinnamomum canela