Anyone know what this is?

I bought this little plant at a KMart several years ago, with no name or label attached. I think I bought it because it came in the shell and I thought it was kinda cute! The leaves are thick, and it blooms frequently with little red flowers shaped like the leaves, like this > () and it looks now like the roots are forcing the growing medium up out of the shell. So, I guess this is two questions, what is it, and if I pull it out of the shell and put it in a tiny pot will it survive? Or should I just lleave it alone, and not be concerned about it getting root bound? It's probably something everybody else knows and I'm going to end up feeling really dumb............!

looks suspiciously like a hoya and not a common one, either. Great find at K-Mart, of all places. Post this over on the hoya forum.

Thanks...I thought the leaves looked a little succulent but couldn't find it in my plant books...

Its not a hoya, the stem is too green I think (the windey thing it does is very hoya-like though). Plus the description of the flower says its not a hoya. But lets try the hoya forum anyway, because I agree with susan that one can discover great finds in discount department stores. And I'm also not an expert on hoyas, just a lover and grower of them. Meezers, I've never seen that plant before if it makes you feel any better .... lol.
Chrsitine.

Oh, and yes, you should re-pot it meezers.

Edited to say - you should post this in the Identification forum Meezers - I've had great luck identifying plants there.

This message was edited Dec 15, 2004 4:30 PM

Good hints, I just paged through about 500 hoyas and didn't see anything like it. I'm going to take a new picture though, there's nothing in this one that shows the proportions, it's very small, and once in a while it produces a triple sized leaf that usually falls off!

Now I'm getting extremely curious. How big is the shell its in? How big are the leaves? Can you see any veins in the leaves? Are there any spots on the leaves? When it flowers, describe how the flowers emerge. (in case you're wondering these are "hoya" questions, just to make sure its not...lol.)
Christine.

Gaaaaaaaaahhhh! I knew there would be more Qs. No spots, no veins. Flowers start like buds and then just get to be bigger buds. I posted a question with a new photo on the Identification forum, balancing a tape measure and the camera, so it's a little off kilter, (can't walk and chew gum either) so you can look at it there.

I did see it there, I'm sure you'll get a great response. Good picture!!! I'm 99.9% sure its not a hoya though. I'm watching your other post to find out for sure, for sure!!

One additional comment, after the flower falls away, it leaves the funny looking end just like the ends of former flowers on my big hoya, which is a messy piggy plant because it drops all the blossoms on the floor as the die off. This is it.

It's funny to me it looks like a cutting I have of a hoya..Name unknown..Why I say this is that the white cream and green leaves are like that as well..Mine has never bloomed but who knows-Maybe???

** Interested as well to finding out what this is..
Best Wishes
Ingrid

I'm sure it's a hoya if that last picture is the same plant. It's a hoya "krimson princess" or "krimson queen". I never can get the name right.

oh, I just went back and re-read that they are 2 different plants.

oh well, it's a hoya or a lipstick.

I'am still holding on that it maybe a hoya....Try to place this in the hoya forum there are so many that are very knowledgable there.
Blessings, Ingrid

Oh no!! the last picture is of my big old messy hoya that I've dragged around with me for the last twenty years....the little one is the mystery plant and there are some possible answers on the Identification forum

LOL!! Well, That "messy hoya" is really lovely. If you ever take cutting please let me know. mine is so very small.
Thanks, ingrid

Meezers, the plant you have above is a "Hoya Krimson Queen". I have one too, and yes, the flowers drop off and are messy - I keep a small rag rug under my hoyas during blooming season to protect my carpets.

ceedub
I knew you would know Christine...excellent!!
Blessings, Ingrid

Here's the thread in identification that meezers posted. Sure is an interesting plant! http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/474045/

Meezers, you said above "after the flower falls away, it leaves the funny looking end just like the ends of former flowers on my big hoya" - just wanted you to know that the "funny looking end" is called a "peduncle". I don't know anything about your mystery plant, but you should never cut them off of a hoya, as more blooms will come out of the same peduncle as long as the plant blooms.

Don't y'all think it's a Dischidia?

They've been commonly sold in those cute little 'shell hangers' in the past few years.

Yes, in the other thread in Identification, that's what its been identified as - that is the first picture at the top of this thread, not the other one lower down.

They have this in Wal-Mart it just says 'Shell hoyer' no other name I thought it was cute, very small, but didn't buy one, didn't know it bloomed, may have to go back and look again, the shell is cute too.they are in the Christmas section.

Doris

Thanks for the peduncle info ceedub, it went right into my hard drive and fell back out because there is no more storage available. LOL But I'll remember not to cut them off. What a great intimidation phrase though, Behave yourself or I'll whack off your peduncle!!

LOL!!!

Looks like it could be Dischidia...and sure sounds like it...especially the description of the flower...

Can you get a close up of the leaves and the flower? But, until the roots are totally PACKED into that coconut shell, I wouldn't repot it...and when you do...but up a tad, not too much.

Congrats on your great find!!!

Aloha, carol

Was solved on the Identification forum!! There's a link up above that Kooger put in!