What Do You Think This Is??

My DH actually bought me a new plant all on his own for no reason whatsoever! Gotta Love Him : ) I just adore it.Problem is there was no tag on it.It looks like maybe a Hoya for some type?What do you all think it is? Thanks for any ideas!!
Nancy

Here is another shot of it.Look familiar to anyone?

I think it looks more like a lipstick plant.

I agree...lipstick

Looks like the lipstick plant I just tossed in the trash yesterday. LOL Yours looks very healthy Nancy. Ya got it growing under lights?

Thanks everyone. I really like it.

GH it is gorgeous at the moment! I just adore the foliage. I hope I can keep it looking that way.I have no idea how to keep it looking nice?? I have it under my lights for the moment.I need to do some research I guess LOLThe fact that DH actually bought it for me out of the blue makes me feel really good. Oh I hope I can get it to give me some blooms.Wish me luck! Thanks again for the id help everyone.! : )
Nancy

I gave mine water only when it dried completely last year and it rewarded me with a few blooms this past Spring. She did well outside in the summer, but started going downhill after I brought her back in in September. Maybe I let it get too cold or was erratic with the watering. Not sure what happened to her.

GH

everytime I get a lipstick I get mealy bugs...keep an eye open

I've had 3 lipsticks- 2 from HD and 1 from a nursery. Each one from HD had mealies and the other did not. I got rid of mealies on one and gave the other one away. The 3rd just got thrown in the trash for refusing to cooperate with me. :)

All this to say that Exotic Angel plants carry mealies or some other pest most of the time.

GH

Nancy,

I grow 3 different types of lipsticks. 1 I have had for a long time and it has never bloomed for me but I took so many cuttings when it was small that it's no wonder why it hasn't bloomed. I think this might be it's year though! The other 2 I haven't had very long but 1 of them is getting ready to bloom. It's the Pagoda which is grown mostly for the foliage so the flowers I guess are not very attractive and are green. I will share the picture with you when it does bloom.

All of this to say....yes, they do tend to get mealies here and there. I just mist them with alcohol every now and then and seem to have them under control but this was the first plant in my collection that taught me what mealies look like.

For me I find the fungus knats more of a pest than the mealies :(

Kim

Kim, you and DD can have fun making up some sticky traps for those pesky fungus gnats. Get some really bright yellow cardboard paper, some popsicle sticks, glue and vaseline. Cut squares out of the card board, glue t hem to the sticks and smear with vaseline. Stick the finished product in the soil. Voila! Homemade fungus gnat protection. Of course, you will have to watch your watering too, making sure your soil is not staying too moist. Those buggers love moist conditions. Let the top layers of your soil dry out. This will also discourage the larvae that live in the soil. You can always put a few slices of peeled potatoes in the soil to attract the larvae. Once they crawl up in there, they can't get out and they die. Whoopeee!!! LOL

Nancy, I think this is a Peperomia. I have one just like it at home, and the leaves look just the leaves on your plant. If I'm not mistaken, leaves on a lipstick plant are thinner than they are on a Peperomia. I believe this one is sometimes called baby rubber plant, but it's still a Peperomia.

I have several different Peperomias, and have all mine in bright light. The seem to love it there, and grow very fast and very well for me.

Here's a pic of my plant:

And here's a close-up of the leaves:

Uh Oh...Now I'm confused again. the leaves are really thick and"Really" do look remarkably like your Peperomia 2nd pic Candace.But then again the lipstick plants leaves kinda look like it too.Why oh why did DH have to bring one home without a tag?LOL.

Oh my gosh GH, Kim and Threegardeners..What the heck do these mealybugs you are talking about look like? I have dealt with fungus gnats before but never mealy bugs.How do I know if I have them?What the heck to those devils look like? Now ya got me all shook up !LOL

Kim,Please do post a pic when yours has blooms : )

Oh GH I am going to have to try the homemade fungus gnat traps.That sounds devilishly fun!

Thanks everyone! : )
Nancy

To add to the confusion:

The leaves on one of my lipsticks were thin, but the leaves on the other are very thick and hard. So, that aspect can vary by cultivar. The leaf shape of both of your plants are more like Aeschyanthus than Peperomia. Candace, the way yours vines out is JUST like my lipstick plant. My vote is that you both have Aeschyanthus(lipstick) and not Peperomia.

Nancy- mealy bugs are small white sucking pests. They have a "frilly coat" if you look at them up close. They lay eggs in cottony sacs(looks like pieces of cotton) and hang out in the leaf joints of our plants. Of course, they can be other places too, such as on the stems or leaves. But, they like to hide in those leaf joints and deposit their babies there. They leave behind a sticky substance on your plant. It's nothing more than their excrement after they've had a hearty meal on our plants. They eat too much and "excrete" the excess. Yeah, gross, I know. LOL They are slow moving pests, but they can get out of control quickly if not dealt with. Check your plant very carefully, including the rim of the pot, for signs of mealy. If you spot any, you can use alcohol or Neem oil to kill them and keep them from coming back. You have to be dilligent and persistent, as one application is rarely enough.

The tag that came with my plant did say Peperomia, so that's what I assumed it was. I'll watch mine and see what it does. I thought the vines on it were just because it wasn't getting enough light, but I also have a variegated Peperomia too, and that one has long vines as well.

Hi, I have one just like that and it is a lipstick plant. Mine has never bloomed either, but after moving it into better light it is doing alot better. If yours blooms, please write and let us know, The book shows beautiful flowers.

How sweet of your DH!
I agree that you have an Aeschynanthus.

Candace...I'm almost positive that you have an Aeschynanthus, as well, and someone thought it was Peperomia scandens thus they tagged it as such.

I have a couple of Aeschynanthus in bloom right now...will try to get photos tonight or tomorrow.

This message was edited Dec 4, 2006 1:19 PM

Thanks GH and Nan. I'll watch my plant then and see what happens. My plant is doing very well too.

What I did notice yesterday is that the long stems on it are hairy, and the new leaves are hairy too. Is that normal for lipstick plant?

Hi Candace....yes, that is normal for a few of the Aeschynathus varieties (can't say which ones off the top of my head, though) but definitely not for Peperomia!
It's a beauty, BTW....hope you see blooms soon.

Thanks for the info, Nan. I hope I see blooms too!

I'm pretty positive that all the plants here are Aeschynanthus. My local nursery has many different varieties and they differ quite a lot in the shape and thickness of the leaves.

Once they bloom we'll know for sure! Do keep us informed of their progress.

Meanwhile here are a couple of pics I've taken at Sunset Flowerland.

Sue

Another - the leaves and flowers are hairy..

Nancy first thought when I saw your pretty new plant it's a Gesneriad !!
Nematanthus, Codonanthe and Related Intergenerics
http://gesneriads.ca/genemcod.htm
Most likly your's is an Aeschynanthus
http://gesneriads.ca/genaesch.htm
I grow mine right with my Av's and other Gesneriads these also grow well outside here in Florida !
Lipstick and Goldfish plants are seen often in HD, Lowes and Nuresry.
Nice plant ! Enjoy .

This message was edited Dec 5, 2006 7:45 AM

Candace,It sounds like we both have pretty plants.Can't wait to see them bloom!

GH Thanks for describing the mealy bugs to me.Thankfully I have never had any trouble with them but now at least I know what to look for.Surprises me that with all the plants I have that I haven't had pest problems.I am sure its just a matter of time. : (

Rustyswoman and Nan, Yes my DH is a real sweetie. Most women like diamonds and I would rather get a new plant.He likes that! LOL I can't wait to see your photos Nan.

Sue,Those pics are gorgeous!Hope mine blooms that pretty!

Allison,Right now it is sitting on one of my lightstands with my av's.It seems happy : ) Thanks for the informative links!

I'll post more pics if I ever get a bloom.If anyone else has one in bloom I would love to see pics : )

Nancy

Nancy...my DH has caught on to that too.....('hey, if she's not dreaming of diamonds, I'll buy her plants - cheaper and makes her happy to boot!) LOL!!

Nice photos, Sue!

My two that are blooming are the varieties with mottled foliage (marmorata and ??)
I started to take photos this morning and the camera batteries died.....so will have to do that tonight or tomorrow.