gpil
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Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 12:06 am

what's this plant?

hello everybody, I really hope you can help me with this. a few days ago I found this plant in front of my building, in a big terracotta vase, broken into pieces. I guess somebody broke it while moving it and just got rid of it. :(
the problem is I have no clue what this plant is :roll: and consequentially don't know how much to water it, in the last 3 days I've been giving it approx a cup a day, but the leaves started yellowing, sign the plant is sad and stressed. too much water? too little? or just the painful experience of being in a broken vase and abandoned on the curb (temperature was in the low 40s') was too much for this girl?

it has several stalks, with short, not very sharp thorns all along them. the stalks have an approximately squared section and the leaves (drop shaped) are in little bunches only at the end of them.
I feel super lame not to be able to post pics of it, but I have them available.

thanks thanks thanks
even if plant doesn't survive, I need the name because I'm gonna buy one to replace it, I immediately fell in love with the quirky look it has.

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Kisal
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Welcome to the forum! :)

Without a photo, we are essentially left with a guessing game. If you could post a picture (see instructions at [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=23]this link[/url]), it could be very useul in finding the name of the plant. :)

Your description of the plant reminds me of the plants known as African milk plant. While there are more than one species known by that common name, they are all members of the genus Euphorbia.

One problem that arises with that ID is the description of the shape of the cross-section of the stems as "square". In my experience with the African milk plant, I would describe the stems as more triangular in cross-section.

Other members will surely offer other suggestions, which may better fit the plant that you have. :)

gpil
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Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 12:06 am

[img]https://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/photojvl.jpg/[/img]

here's the plant. it looks a bit like the african milk plant, except for the complete lack of green parts along the stalks.


thanks for your help so far!

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rainbowgardener
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Picture didn't come through. Here's the link to it:

https://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/photojvl.jpg/

Here's the picture:

[url=https://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/photojvl.jpg/][img]https://img163.imageshack.us/img163/29/photojvl.jpg[/img][/url]

You get to the picture by clicking on Embed this Image and then copying the link next to FORUM and pasting it in here.

Dillbert
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looks like Crown-of-Thorns - a euphorbia - the most common is e. milii

often kept as a house plant - seems to be lacking its thorns tho - did they fall/break off?

gpil
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Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 12:06 am

that's how it was then I found it (minus the yellowing leaves).

I guess I am watering too much, from what I just read around the web about Crown-of-Thorns care.

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Kisal
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Location: Oregon

Hmmm ... to me it looks like it might be a Peperomia obtusifolia that has been sorely neglected, causing it to lose the leaves along the stems. It might have suffered either lack of light or lack of water. There are many species, but they all require the same care.

They are a jungle plant, so enjoy bright, indirect light and high humidity. They do well in normal household indoor temperatures, but can only survive a minimum temperature of 50º F.

They want a loose, rapidly draining acidic soil. I think I would use a mix of compost with, perhaps, some orchid bark or coir mixed in, to create such a growing medium. A good quality standard potting mix would probably be just fine, with something coarse, such as coir, added to increase drainage.

Don't forget, though, that I could be totally mistaken about the ID. Young Peperomia plants were popular species to grow in terrariums, but as they matured, they invariably would outgrow the available space.

plantomaniac08
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Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2011 10:59 pm

It looks like a "Crown of Thorns" to me (as previously stated, most likely euphorbia milii), I can see some of the thorns when I click on the photo and make it larger. As to it's care, what I remember from my experiences is that if they are allowed to dry out too much to the point they wilt, they will sometimes lose leaves, I.e. the leaves will yellow and then drop, as with just about any other houseplant. If overwatered, they will also yellow and drop leaves. It wasn't too difficult of a plant for me to care for, I've just never had one long enough that it reached the height yours has.



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