Devils backbone plant care full#

I like my plant leafy!įollow Anne K Moore and Linda Weiss as they blog at Diggin’ It at the Christian Science Monitor website.Īll articles are copyrighted and remain the property of the author. Take your Mother of Thousands and put your palm down on the soil, spreading your fingers around the stem of the plant.

I think I will take a softwood cutting and grow another plant just to see what the flowers look like. Tamp down the soil so that it settles a bit.

Devils backbone plant care full#

If I grew it in full sun and didn’t give it water when it was dry, it would most likely lose its leaves but it would probably show me those odd flowers on the ends of the stems by mid-summer. I water it when it dries out so it becomes a lovely, lush plant.

My Devil/zigzag/slipper/bird plant spends summers out of doors in the shade of a porch.

The second thing I learned, I have been too good to my plant so it has never blossomed. First, this plant will bloom with red flowers resembling either a slipper or a bird, perhaps depending on how you squint at it. This is an all-season plant, perfect for indoor growing conditions and outdoor sometimes care.Īfter a bit of research, I discovered two things. The rest of us can grow this unusual plant as a houseplant indoors and to add a tropical flair outdoors during the warm days of summer. It thrives in Southern California, Southern Florida, and Southern Texas. Sun and cold cause the leaves to turn pink. This is where the water is stored, as sap. The Devil’s Backbone and Zigzag names come from the zzz’s of the stems, which are quite fleshy. I see his garden when I look at this plant he shared with me.) (If you want to be remembered, share your plants. Why “Japanese” when it comes from Central America is a mystery to me.Ī gardener friend gave me my Variegated Devil’s Backbone as a cutting, a friend who passed away two years ago. That also accounts for the Poinsettia in Japanese Poinsettia. I know my plant as Devil's Backbone ( Pedilanthus tithymaloides) a euphorbia, which is where the spurge part of Slipper Spurge comes from. Yet this plant is considered unusual in most of the U.S. Zigzag Plant, yes, but Slipper Spurge? There are still more names in the common vernacular for this plant found growing over much of Southern Florida. Talk about conjuring up very different images with common names.įor the life of me, I can’t quite figure out why this plant is also known as Japanese Poinsettia. On the other hand, Devil’s Backbone might give some gardeners pause. If re-potting/migrating to a larger container, we recommend the use of Mandy's Farm Foliage Plant Potting Mix or one similar to it.Red Bird plant sounds kind of nice. If growing indoors, ensure that drip trays are emptied regularly.įERTILIZING: Our plants are sold in organically enriched, NPK+MagSulf strong, potting mixes that would need no additional soil amendments for at least one year. Never let its roots sit in stagnant water. When outdoor temperatures are above fifty degrees at night you can take it outdoors and prune the whole plant back to. Allow soil to dry out completely between watering events. WATERING: Alternate days in summer and twice a week rest of the year. If growing outdoors, place in semi-shade as exposure to strong direct sunlight will burn the leaves of this plant. LIGHT: If growing indoors, place in a bright spot with exposure to direct but not strong sunlight/ambient light for at least six hours daily.

Avoid moving this plant around as it is sensitive to relocations and tends to shed its leaves each time it is moved. Trim off old, drying leaves from time to time and add this as shredded foliage around your plant to increase humus and soil health. Grow separately as this plant is quite demanding of soil/water resources. GROWING: Re-pot in a larger container or grow in-ground to increase root and foliage growth.