Mystery shrub id

A friend here in Panama told me this shrub is common is California, so I am hoping someone can ID it. No one here knows.
Grows in full sun or full shade. No visible flowers, but seedlings pop up, so it must be doing something. Milky sap. No suckers. Leaves are green underneath. Takes shaping well. Tree, shrub or just about any size and shape is common here.
Euphorbia like, but?
Tried getting an ID on the tropical group, but no luck. Suggestions were Ficus, Excoecaria, Plumeria, Synadenium, but doesn't look like that.

carefreecynthia,
You know I just saw your post. The colors on the leaves make me think of Coleus. The texture makes me think of Croton plants. I may not have the spelling right, and the ones I usually see, have huge leaves, but the coloration reminds me of them.
Sorry it's not much help, but now I'm curious as to what it is too!
WIB~
SW

Google photo pink dot plant. That may be your answer.

Good suggestion Sylvia. :-)
I tried that, and got the little houseplants, not the large bush that carefreecynthia was asking about.
So I went back to google, and tried polka dot bushes. Got houseplants.
Tried something slightly different, and tried spotted leaf shrubs. Which took me to this website,
http://shorescapesondelmarva.com/ShrubDirectory.htm
I don't know if it will help but given the suggestion that they might be common in CA, this would be a good place to start.
Hope that it helps.
WIB~
SW

How about Weigela, either varigated or ‘My Monet’.

Thanks. I did look at the shorescape site, but didn't see anything.
I am familiar with Weigela, but have not seen it here in Panama. I suspect it can't take the 200 inches of rain a year.

A local woman told me this plant was Poinsettia. I do think it is some type of Euphorbia. It looks like Poinsettia up close, has the milky sap and tiny flower buds, just smaller leaves.

If it's a poinsettia, it's the prettiest one I've ever seen. The leaves in the second picture certainly look like it. The bush is so perfectly shaped, how pretty.

You know, that strange things happen to plants in the tropics. I remember the first time I went to Hawaii. I saw a pathos leaf that was about 10 sizes larger than those in my potted plant at home.
Poinsettia plants do have a milky sap, and since most of the ones we do get up here are considered annuals, it does make me wonder what their trunks would look like after several years of growing in the ground. Now I do have one pointsettia in the GH that has grown through the pot and into the ground. I'll go get a photo of it today to post. It has become quite large over the years, but you know it brightens up my short days in the winter, so I've left it there.
WIB~
SW

Years ago I bought a house in Morro Bay. There was this three foot tall, 3 inch across stump in the back yard. When spring came it shot up and low and behold it was a red poinsettia. Which amazed me, I though they were something you set on your table at Christmas and then it died. I would love to visit Panama, I have never been that far south. It must be a wonderous place.
SingingWolf - check your Dmail.

I believe you Dee, just hadn't encountered it in person until that pink poinsettia in the greenhouse escaped it's pot. :-)
Still have to get photos, and I answered my dmail, too.
Now I'm off to make Christmas Cookies.
WIB~
SW

It is a very pretty shrub. The trunk is kind of spongy, very smooth beige color. There are many other Poinsettias here, planted out in gardens. Most are 5 to 6 feet tall. Thought you would enjoy this photo of one at a local hotel. They have kept it pinched so it is very nice. I just bought 2 for my garden.

Those are gorgeous, and no wonder you wanted a couple for your garden! The colored leaves on that plant are Huge compared to mine. I still haven't had a chance to download the photos from my camera, but I did take some photos of mine.
The trunk isn't really spongy, but it is mostly smooth and a light brown color.
So I should probably be pinching mine to shape them? The one in the photo does have a really nice shape, and I'm sure that I should shape it, although I think I just tied it back so that the branches don't overtake the walkway.
Hope to have the photos by late Sunday on my computer.
Got to run~
WIB~
SW

Did you ever get an id for the bush?
Howdy SingingWolf! Just finally renewed my membership here and was so happy to see everything still here!
Poinsettias wouldn't survive out where I live now, but in town I have seen huge ones blooming in the late fall until the frost gets them. It is sad how many get thrown away every year.
Pedrick

No, nothing definitive. Guess I will go with Euphorbia something.

Hi,
I finally have the time to show you the photos of my pink poinsettia.
1. My finger showing how big the trunk is getting. You can also see the pot it grew through.
2. The colorful bracts.
3. The whole plant.

carefreecynthia, is there a botanical garden or a University nearby where you could ask some one?

Hope that some day the mystery is solved.

Happy New Year everyone!

WIB~
SW

Ooops! The last two photos are wrong. Those are geraniums. I'll be back with the right photos.

This message was edited Dec 31, 2014 12:58 PM

I don't know what happened there. Let me try again.
Here ya go.
WIB~
SW