Freakish Foliage From Florida

Back in September when Hurricane Ike's path was yet to be determined, we were asked by our houseplant broker to take our fall shipment early. Just about all of the houseplants sold east of the Mississippi start life in south Florida. He was worried that if we did not take it early, we may not get it at all. Hurricane Andrew's memories burn particularly intense among the Florida foliage industry.


Included in the shipment we received was Eurphorbia lactea 'Cristata'. I have never seen this plant before and they reminded me of some sort of nudibranch. They are grafted and come in several colors. What I have since read about this plant is that it is native to India where it is used medicinally, but yet it is listed as poisonous as well. It needs to be kept in a bright sunny window and should be allowed to go completely dry between waterings. We sold several the day they came in to people using employee discounts.