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sbrow156

Is this a desert rose?

sbrow156
11 years ago

I picked up a plant on the weekend. It was rather tall and spindly looking (needed a prune) anyway it looks exactly like a desert rose, same branches and leaves and even has desert rose like pink flowers yet it doesnt have a fat caudex. In fact it looks alot like a normal plants trunk ...i am confused. The woman at the plant stall and i both thought it was a desert rose yet the trunk is so different then any other one ive seen. I have attached a picture of the trunk, stems (i already started pruning) and flowers so you can have alook. I would love to know if you guys think its a desert rose or not?

Comments (26)

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    pic 2

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    pic 3

  • greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
    11 years ago

    Well I think it is!
    Gill from the UK.

  • hookilau
    11 years ago

    Indeed, I believe so as well. Congrats :) He may not have a chubby caudex but that trunk is still fatt-ee-O.

    I don't have a particular affinity for a fat caudex, I find the ability of the trunk to become so substantial attractive. I really like the way pruning affects them :)

    Can't wait to see what he looks like when you get finished grooming him up. Please update as he grows :) Wonder what he looks like below the soil line.

    Antoinette

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Yes i was thinking his roots may look interesting below the soil. I will have alook when i get him out of the pot he came in and get him in some gritty mix. The woman at the stall said he has been in that pot for years so i guess what ever he is in he has adapted to. I decided whilst pruning to just keep him in his original pot so it doesnt freak him out too much. Once he starts growing some new branches i will replant him in a terracotta with gritty mix. I will update everyone with his progress :) Was a shame to cut off all the branches with flowers on though. But they will regrow. :)

  • hookilau
    11 years ago

    I hate to toss the cuttings. Why not put some in a well draining mix & see if they'll root?

    I have a couple here that are about a month old that have put on teeny new leaves but I'd like to see more growth before I pot up and call it a success.

    Your branches look to be quite substantial though, might be worth a shot :) I'm such an enabler, lol. I let them sit for a couple of days till the end is calloused over & dried up....then put in an in-organic mix (gritty). Misted & popped them into a clear plastic baggie.

    Mine are teeny tiny, maybe half the diameter of a pencil but as long as there are leaves (however small) I remain hopeful that they will take =)

    Antoinette

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Yes i was thinking about trying to root them. Was going to google how to do it lol. I still have them saved so i think i will do as you said above and see what happens :) I am thinking perhaps the main plant was originally a cutting and thats why it has no fat caudex...only the trunk as shown above.

  • Marie Tran
    11 years ago

    Sbrow, you are right, the original plant was cutting. You will have fat caudex, but it will take few years.....
    Marie

  • hookilau
    11 years ago

    yes, that's what I've heard too =) but think of the blooms you'll enjoy along the way!

    Antoinette

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Havnt seen any new growth on the plant since pruning...how long does it normally take to get some new growth? Also the cuttings (stems) seem to be doing ok. Hopefull to see some new growth and roots on them soon...but yeh just kinda worried about my main plant...its been nearly a week and no new growth :(

  • karyn1
    11 years ago

    I wouldn't expect to see any new growth yet. It can take several weeks. Just give it some time and make sure it stays someplace warm. Not sure what zone you are in. I'm in zone 7a and will have to move mine by early Oct. when the evenings cool below 50. Cuttings can also take quite a while to root. They need more warmth then your "mother" plant. Bottom heat is best and very little water until roots develop. Nice find and good luck.

  • hookilau
    11 years ago

    At the height of my growing season, with regular temps at 80+ degrees F and full on sun took my DR's about 2-4 weeks before I saw new growth. Lots of sloppy humidity too.

    Annnd I had to look realllly hard to find it =) I busied myself with collecting other houseplants & window shopping for decorative pots. It wasn't easy. I'm still no good at it lol!

    Antoinette

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Still no new growth on mother plant...cuttings still seem ok though...i am distracting myself with other plants too at the moment :) adding to my herb, fruit and veg collection and doing a massive overhaul of our back garden at the moment. The pile of pruned off branches and cut down trees in our yard at the moment is MASSIVE!

  • hookilau
    11 years ago

    Good job!!!
    Keep fighting the good fight =)
    I'm doing the same, adding to my succulent collection & searching out cool stuff to make planters out of. Here's a pirate planter I potted up this weekend

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Awww thats cute :D...i have some succulents in a long skinny pot on my outdoor table on the patio. Although i had a problem with rot and had to get rid of a couple out of the pot. I have since replaced them though i think one of the original ones still may have some rot...he is a tall skinny thing that lost all his leaves and cannot stay upright now without a small stake. He has not died out or turned brown ...he is still green and seems to have some small flower looking things growing on the top now but i think he may still have rot seeing as he cant hold himself up. Im alittle scared to check him though because hes been in that pot forever but i guess if i have hope of saving him im going to have to ...hmmmm :(

  • hookilau
    11 years ago

    yaargh matey, should you re-pot & tart up your sad little plant, do show us before & after pics! ahem, yarrrgh ;)

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Been watching stumpy over the past almost 2 months now and he now is growing lotsa leaves and branches :)its so exciting ....i cant wait till he put out a flower. The cuttings all ended up rotting :( they were putting out leaves and buds were opening so i thought they were all good. Then they dropped all buds and leaves and i was confused so i took them out and they were rotted. I cut them back to see how far they had rotted. Aparently it was alot :( I left them to dry out on the table outside and heres the sad bit.... Our dog got to them. I dont know what it is but any new plant i get or when i prune something in the garden or plant something new he has to either dig it up, pee on it, or bite it. This time he took the cuttings for joy rides around the yard. I found two completely destroyed and slobery and the other i never found. Oh well ...guess we live and learn. I have my plumeria cuttings in the fenced of garage area so he doesnt do the same to them :P anyway heres a pic of my stumpy. Its abit blurry and is still in the pot i got him in ...i will tranfer him but he seems to be doing so well in that one at the moment i didnt want to prune and then stress him out by moving him all at the same time.....

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    and heres some other pics just for fun :D

    This is a flower from my mums garden

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    all my herbs and fruits are in bloom...yellow is tomatos, white and pink are strawberries and white is basil

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    some desert rose blooms and other random flowers that have popped up in the garden

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    a pineapple growing on a pineapple plant at my mums place :D

  • karyn1
    11 years ago

    Stumpy's looking good. I love the other pics. Is the first a type of ginger? I've never seen a pink flowered strawberry, very pretty. Is the fruit tasty?

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I think it may be a type of ginger ... Not positive though... Yes the pink flowering strawberries r called 'sweet rose' the white one is called 'sweet pink' which is wierd coz the flowers white. We had another called 'berry sweet' but hubby forgot to water them when I went away for a week n it died. I don't know what colour flower that had. They are very sweet so much nicer then store strawberries when ripe... They are kinda sour or bitter when not quite ripe :D

    Sarah

  • rcharles_gw (Canada)
    11 years ago

    It looks like the Torch Ginger (Etlinger elatior). Very pretty when the center opens, has infloresence to it.
    Rick

  • seaside123
    11 years ago

    Hi. Concerned about reading that your dog may have chewed the cuttings. I guess you are aware that the sap is very toxic. I have just started growing adeniums, but plan to keep them out of reach of my two dogs.

  • sbrow156
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Ahh yes he is fine...he doesnt touch them anymore. I dont think he liked the taste either so he leaves them alone now :)

    Sarah