Identification Help: ?? and Pedilanthus tithymaloides 'Variegatus'

[MJoseph]

Please help me identify two wonderful green houseplants that I got from a Mother's Day plant sale at my kids school about 5 years ago. They were wonderfully easy to raise and thrived under my off-again -on again brand of gardening. I was unable to put them out most of this summer because of some work we were doing in the back; Finally I put them out at the tail end/early September only to have given them a winter shock; the leaves got kind of frostbitten, and pretty much fell off; one of them is barely making it through, it has exactly 1 leaf on each of 2 stems (down from a bushy 25 stemmed plant!); the other is dead - it has like 1 green stem left, but I know its dead. I'd like to replace both, but dont have a clue as to what they are. here's a description:
i) Fleshy round button like leaves growing from tubular stems (I think this one might make it through)
ii) Zig-zagged stems, with light green variegated leaves, smallish, almond shaped
I know this is too little information to go by. We are planning on getting a digital camera. If they're still around by then I can send pictures of the surviving leaf and stem - but it may be too late...

[Douglas Justice]

Plant #2 sounds like Pedilanthus tithymaloides 'Variegatus' (see this link to Texas A & M Horticulture. If this is correct, it is commonly known as devil's backbone.

Plant #1 is drawing a blank. What do you mean "button-like leaves?" Tubular stems suggests succulent tissue -- is this plant a succulent? Does it have clear or milky sap? Does it branch?

I'm keen to figure it out.

[MJoseph]

Plant #1 is Peperomia_obtusifolia2.jpg (image attached). I figured that out when searching for a better image of Pedilanthus tithymaloides 'Variegatus' that you identifed for me.
Thank you!

Originally Posted by Douglas Justice

Plant #2 sounds like Pedilanthus tithymaloides 'Variegatus' (see this link to Texas A & M Horticulture. If this is correct, it is commonly known as devil's backbone.

Plant #1 is drawing a blank. What do you mean "button-like leaves?" Tubular stems suggests succulent tissue -- is this plant a succulent? Does it have clear or milky sap? Does it branch?

I'm keen to figure it out.

[MJoseph]

Originally Posted by MJoseph

Plant #1 is Peperomia_obtusifolia2.jpg (image attached). I figured that out when searching for a better image of Pedilanthus tithymaloides 'Variegatus' that you identifed for me.
Thank you!

Additionally, to catch up on the story of Plant #1, it has turned the bedn - even though sitting indoors. I found a good south facing window, water it at least fortnightly, if not more often, and from the withered single-leaf plant it had become, it now sports at leat 6 leaves!!!

[bcr8tiv]

If your plant is a devil's backbone have you found any places where you can order this plant. i too, unfortuately killed mine and I am having a hard time finding a place to order this plant. My local green houses don't carry them. I attached a picture of what my plant looked like.

[Marn]

hey BC.. try ebay .. i know i have seen them there alot .. that seems to be a good place to find them ..

I just went to ebay and here are 3 different auctions going right now ..
http://home.search.ebay.com/devils-b...Z1QQsofocusZbs
Marn