Pedilanthus tithymaloides, a.k.a. Devil's Backbone, Red Bird Flower, Rick-Rack Plant, Jacob's-Ladder, Persian Lady-Slipper, Slipper Flower, Japanese Poinsettia, Gallito, and any number of other common names, is an unusual and easy indoor plant.
Pedilanthus tithymaloides is a leafy shrub that can grow to five feet outdoors. As a houseplant, it usually reaches only 2 feet in height. The stem is strongly upright--even as it zigs and zags every inch or so, producing a single pointed leaf alternately left and right at each node. The leaves of the "wild" variety are yellow-green to medium green. Cultivars available in the trade include leaves of a green so dark it almost looks black, or variegated green with white, cream, pink, and red. The stout wiry stem can be dark green, but there are selections with green marbled with creamy white, too. Catalogs list miniatures versions that are supposed to be about half the normal height.
The scientific genus name Pedilanthus means 'foot-shaped flower.' It aptly describes the small red or yellow flowers that cluster at the ends of the stems in summer and fall. If you were to examine the flowers and capsule-like fruits closely, you would see that their structure is similar to the more famous members of the spurge family--the Christmas poinsettia, chenille plant, castor bean, and crown-of-thorns. The spurge or euphorbia family members share many characteristics, such as a milky latex sap that can cause irritation to skin and eyes on contact, and digestive upset if eaten. Plants in this family yield rubber, edible roots, fruits, and medicinal and poisonous products. Recent research has shown that pedilanthus and other euphorbs could be valuable renewable resources as substitutes for petroleum in making gasoline-like fuels.
Pedilanthus is native to the American tropics, and is cold hardy to USDA zone 9 to 10, or central Florida southward. In our region, be careful not to let it get chilled below about 50 degrees when you have it outdoors for the growing season. That means that even in May and September, temperatures could dip below those that could damage or even kill your plant.
Pedilanthus is very easy to grow as a houseplant. It needs some protection from hot summer sun, but it will be happiest in full sun during the fall and winter. The varieties that have variegated leaves with red in them will develop the best color with higher indoor light levels. If you want, you can grow pedilanthus under lights for 14 hours a day. Water the potting mix only when the surface just feels dry--never too wet nor too dry. Fertilize plants once a month in the spring and summer with a half-strength liquid houseplant product. Pedilanthus prefers to be rather rootbound, so resist the temptation to repot it frequently into larger and larger pots. Spring is the best time to repot overgrown plants.
Propagating pedilanthus could not be easier: use a clean sharp knife to cut off a 4-6" stem. Be careful not to let the milky sap drip on you or your clothing or furnishings. The sap is sticky and oxidizes to black, and can stain fabric and skin. Leave the cut stem to dry and callous in a warm, airy location out of direct sun for 2 or 3 days. Fill a clean pot with fresh perlite, moisten it, and poke a hole 2 inches deep for each stem you wish to root. Insert the calloused pedilanthus stems and firm the perlite around them. Stand the pot in a tray with about inch of water to keep the perlite evenly moist. Set the cuttings under lights or in bright, indirect sun. Within two weeks, the stems should resist a slight tug, indicating they have struck roots. Knock the cuttings out of the perlite, being careful not to break the brittle roots. Pot the rooted cuttings in a fresh mix of equal parts potting mix and sharp, coarse sand. Return the potted cuttings to the same lighting they enjoyed before they rooted. Once they start to sprout new leaves, you can move them to their permanent home.
For more information on home lawns, gardens, and pests, contact The Garden Line at garden-line@udel.edu or phone 302-831-8862.
—Jo Mercer, Extension Educator, Horticulture & Environmental Science
Originally published in “Newark Outlook,”
The Newark Post
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