I brought my r hips slid in for the winter. She is 4 feet and has bloomed all this time, but there are sugary bubbles on the branches along with the blooms. Does anyone know what is going on? Possibly a reward for insects to fertilize the tiny flowers?
Could you please include photos of "sugary bubbles"? Is this Hatiora salicornioides, formerly classified as a Rhip.? The plant looks great but the four photos neither demonstrate the problem or question.
This message was edited May 5, 2022 6:47 PM
The white round ovals are what I am asking about. The yellow are spent blooms.
I identified it as R hips a lis bad if era but there is so much chaos and controversery...who knows?!?!
I identifies it as Rhipsalis baccifera. Not Hatiora as it has never had an upright habit, and had one years ago. Different stem structure completely. But that being said I wrote an article on R. baccifera and realized how chaotic labeling this species is. Sorry about spell check, a pain.
Hatiora salicornioides has yellow flowers and can be either upright or pendent. Rhipsalis baccifera has white flowers. I've got both with many progeny from the Hatiora that was my mother's fifty years ago. There was a time I was sharing cuttings of Hatiora here. The sap from Hatiora salicornioides is a skin irritant and toxic to pets so I would think the same might be true for R. baccifera. Just a heads up.
I can't say why it is sapping except for the usual culprits...scale, aphids or watering/drainage issues. In the absence of insects I would suspect that if the plant has spent a number of years in the same soil and pot there is a watering/drainage issue. It will be more sensitive to frequent watering when not fully out of winter dormancy.
