This plant (in sections) has been passed down from my great great grandmother. When you break off a small stem of it, throw it in water it sprouts roots and then you plant it. My Aunt's call it devil's thorn but when I search that, I come up with something else. When you place it in the sun, the white parts turn red. Does anyone know what plant this is?
it kinda looks like pothos(maybe marble queen) which is also called devil's ivy. Just a thought!
It does kinda look like pothos, but pothos' leaves are usually more heart-shaped, so I'm not so sure.
Devils' Backbone
http://www.sd1new.net/GardenPages/devilsbackbone.htm
Looks like it might be devil's backbone......
variegated of course :)
I used to have some of that. It's gonna drive my crazy until I think of the name!!
Thank you guys! I have heard that these variety can look differnt from plant to plant... so that makes sense.
To me it sure looks like variegated Hoya. Often the new growth on these have red in them.
It is a succulent and does nor need too much watering. It likes bright light--even though outside--it may appreciate some filtered light from the hot afternoon sun.
By the way--when these get older and pot-bound--they DO bloom!
Lookie here!
Gita
I thought the leaves looked a little hoya-ish as well - but that stem does not.
Gita, that is a pretty picture of your hoya.
It is also called
Redbird Cactus ( flowers look like red birds )
http://www.aogc.org/calendar/000070.html
don't think it is a true cactus, read also that it grows like a shrub outdoors
The only thing is that the stem does not zig zag like that... hmmmm very interesting
Bhavana,
That picture of my Hoya bloom was taken about 3 years ago. it has long ago left my house. I gave it to a conservatory--they can use it up for cuttings and sell the new plants.
Gita
Hoya??????????? the leaves arent similar.
I agree that it looks like a hoya, which just happens to be the reason I joined this site! I received one for a wedding gift 20 years ago and it still hasn't bloomed! My friend is a horticulturist with our local gardens, and has repotted it for me several times (it likes to be pot-bound) and still nothing. I've moved it to several different rooms & windows and am not over watering. Any suggestions?
pmarsha,
I had mine for several years and it never bloomed either.
I take ALL my houseplants outside for the Summer--keeping in mind their light needs.
My Hoya hung from a pole in the middle of my back yard. It got sun most of the day--but towards evening, my large Maple shaded it. It had grown so vined that the tendrils were all wrapped around the plant--anywhere I could pull them through so they would not hang all over the place. Then--one year, I saw the little flower clusters forming on the ends of the vines! Each year--for about 4 years--there were more and more!
From that year on--it bloomed it's silly head off every Summer--hanging on the same pole.
One important think to know is that, when the flower clusters die, it leaves these little "nubs" on the stem where the bloom was. NEVER remove those! Flowers will come from the same "nubs" the following year. SO! You can never prune the plant back!
I gave it away because it simply became too big for me to handle indoors for the Winter.
Gita
Here's the Hoya HB hanging from the pole. This was taken in 2006.
It's a variegated Devil's Backbone, Pedilanthus tithymaloides 'Variegatus'. They don't all have such pronounced zig-zag to their stems. Here are a couple of pictures. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/64392/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/83773/ And the link to the PF page for info about it. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1716/
thanks, I can try it outside, tho it's cool here still so I'll put only for a few hrs a day. Nothing can hurt.
It is not a Pothos. I am for sure of that. I have all varieties including the Marble Queen...which it is not. :) Hope this helps.
Mommakitten: Your plant is definitely a Pedilanthus, more commonly known as "Devil's Backbone":
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1716/ as Anaid and kis_01 suggested.
The (color) variegation in the foliage does resemble the Pothos: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/51451/ and the Hoya Krimson Princess: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57702/ but the stems and leaf shape are different. Here's another photo of Devil's Backbone: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/120070/
Hi mommakitten! Excuse me for butting in, but you just helped me solve the same problem I've have for months. Was trying to figure out the name of this gift. When received, it was nearly dead, as in pic. Now has a couple of leaves, but as least I know now what it is. Thanks all.
