Houseplant Guru: Euphorbia

Showing posts with label Euphorbia. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Madagascar Visited (At the Cleveland Botanical Garden)

Last Saturday, I headed to the Cleveland Botanical Garden to attend the Midwest Cactus and Succulent Society show and sale. I had never been to the conservatory there and so was doubly excited. I wasn't disappointed. They were having their Big Spring extravaganza, as well, so there was a lot going on.

Green Euphorbia flowers

I went to the cactus and succulent show first which I wrote about here, and then headed for the Eleanor Armstrong Smith glasshouse.
This conservatory was built in 2003 and has two distinct environments, the spiny Madagascar desert and the Costa Rican rain forest.
The first room you come to, is the Madagascar desert room.

Dracaena marginata

As I started into the room I was met by an assortment of gorgeous plants.... and then as I looked to the left what should I see but these ENORMOUS cockroaches!!!!! Yikes!!!! Thank goodness they were behind glass!

Pandanus or screw pine

Euphorbia platycada

There were two "dead stick" plants hanging from the rocky walls. Euphorbia platycada and Cynanchum marnierianum. Their way of not being eaten by hungry animals is to resemble something that is already dead. I have both of these plants in my collection at home. Love them!

Cynanchum marnierianum blooms

Euphorbia flowers

Also, in this room, are many different Euphorbias. Many of the plants in this room have a dormancy period. Most have no leaves at this time but as the Spring progresses they will wake up and grow leaves.
The picture below is the plant that the flowers on the left are from. I can't believe I even saw them. I was bending down taking a picture of another plant and saw these tiny flowers.

Pachypodium horombense

Caudex forming Pachypodiums are some of the many plants that can survive this harsh environment. The caudex holds large quantities of water for the plant to use during the dry season.

Cliffs holding many diverse plants

The area of Madagascar that is represented in this room, is the Isalo Massifs which is a mountainous region in Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa. Enormous cliffs tower over the desert. In crevices in these sandstone cliffs an amazing array of plants are found that can endure the harsh winds and lack of water. These include many Euphorbias, Madagascar palms or Pachypodium lamerei and other unusual plants.

Pachypodium lamerei -right Euphorbia millii-top

Euphorbia

Euphorbia millii spilling down the cliff

Euphorbia decaryi

Faux Baobab tree

The centerpiece of this room is the faux Baobab tree in the center. it supports many climbing plants and is a good rendition of a true Baobab. There are small real Baobab trees in the room. Sometimes they are called upside down trees because when the branches are bare, they resemble roots sticking out of the top of the tree.


A panoramic view of one side of the room.

Baobab tree Andansonia digitata

The young Baobab trees do not resemble their mature counterparts.

Dioscorea elephantipes

The large plant above is also called an elephant's foot plant. I think the whole caudex looks like an elephant's face. It is such an interesting plant. This caudex sticks out of the ground and a vine grows out of the top of it. When it is the dry season, it drops all its leaves and then grows them back when it rains.

Another caudex forming plant is the Adenia firingalavensis.
Below are the flowers of the Adenia.

Euphorbia flowers

Kalanchoe beharensis

Radiated tortoise

They even have animals in this conservatory. This is a radiated tortoise. They also have a hedgehog and a chameleon that is roaming free, but I never saw it.

Euphorbia didierioides

This Euphorbia didierioides looks like it must be dead, but it isn't. It will wake up soon and grow all new leaves.

Close up of the Alluaudia

The last plant I want to share is the Alluaudia. It is a very thorny plant with little leaves completely covering it. When it is dormant all the leaves fall off, but also grow back in the Spring.

I may never get to Madagascar, (and if those hissing cockroaches are roaming free, I'm not sure I want to) but I felt I got a little closer by visiting this conservatory. It was beautiful and the plants amazing.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Houseplant Bonsai

Bougainvillea

I recently (yesterday) went on a garden walk. I love garden walks as I have stated before in a previous post. I especially love seeing people's houseplants which they've placed outside for the summer. One of the gardens we visited had tropical bonsai on the deck. Some of them were protected from the harsh West sun by a latticed area. The ones that could take the sun were in the full exposure, such as the above bougainvillea. It was blooming beautifully.

Ficus grove

I loved this ficus grove. It was beautifully landscaped with bridges and rock outcrops. The details in the landscape made all the difference. The sedum and golden baby tears added additional color and there was even a man boating under the bridge. An overall beautiful vignette and as you can see, a ribbon winner.

Euphorbia

The above bonsai is a crested form of a Euphorbia. It is a succulent which is nice when considering bonsai, as watering is a crucial part of growing bonsai. Because of their small root systems, they dry out quickly. Using a succulent means the watering practices are much reduced compared to other varieties of bonsai.

Portulacaria afra

This bonsai above, Portulacaria afra, is also a succulent and is called elephant bush and dwarf jade. This plant is native to South Africa and is very important to browsing animals, such as the elephant, because of its ability to thrive in dry areas. It can grow 8-12' tall in its native habitat.

Fukien Tea

The Fukien tea, Ehretia microphylla, is a common bonsai plant. It has very attractive leaves and bark and is relatively easy to grow. It is named after its native habitat which is the Fukien or Fujien Province in Southern China. It has an abundance of small white flowers a lot of the time, which adds to its popularity.

Natal Plum

This cascading bonsai is very attractive and the Natal plum is well suited to this form. It is native to South Africa, and blooms with fragrant white flowers. The fruit formed can be eaten or made into pies, jams, and sauces. It has shiny, deep green leaves and makes a very attractive bonsai.
I love the work and imagination these small plants take to make them look like old, full grown trees. Using houseplants is much easier than using outdoor trees which need a cold dormant season. This means a place to keep them in the winter is essential. With the houseplant bonsai, they are beautiful year round and can be kept in the house. I'd like to try one, and with my schedule, I think the succulent form would be my only choice.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

A Kid in a Candy Store

Blooming succulent

On Sunday, I went on a field trip with the cactus and succulent society to a greenhouse that grows mainly succulents. When I first walked in, it was so nice and warm and spring like. After a couple of hours, it was SUMMER! I forgot what is what like to be that hot.....except during hot flashes!

I'm going to share some pictures of the plants. If there isn't a caption under the picture, I'm sorry, I don't know the correct identification. This is the second time I've been to this greenhouse and am amazed by the vast variety of succulents. Quite a few were in bloom. Maybe the reason I like them so much,is that a lot of them have orange flowers. The owner loves these plants and is so knowledgeable! I enjoy talking to him and I try to pick up as many tips and tricks as I can. A person who grows these for a living day in and day out knows his plants and there is always something new to learn. Enjoy!