It does look like simple physical leaf damage...either from your cleaning or from being brushed/bumped up against at one time or another. About the funky leaf....I bought a big Spath *simply because* it had several leaves like this....I thought it was a cool mutation. (I like the unusual.) Since I brought it home nearly a year ago, it still puts out a deformed leaf or two occasionally, and it, too, is otherwise healthy. Most of the cool newer Spathiphyllums on the market result from mutations of existing Spaths. (I think!)

E. Knuthii had branches that use to look like this early season .... but now they look like this.. Moving right along( sort of slowly) E. Larkspinsis is making freasher arm progress by cutting 3 -4 of the lankier droopy arms per season While talking about some do overs here is an E. greenyii that was nearly drowning when adopted. I'll admit it this one is kind of small for a E. lactea creasted variegate You ought to see the mother that this had been plucked from while admitting I am kind of hoarding that one. You've seen this one before on your thread from others as it finally gets some colors. And why is there a seniceo on a Euphorbia thread Well... as you did ask for a succulent and..... technically Euphorbia are a spurge.. A bit of show and tell from you too perhaps ? How are yours doing ?

First of all, dormancy is very individual to each plant. At a certain point, one plant will suddenly, literally overnight, have its leaves turn yellow and drop off. Right across from it, an identical plant may be full of green leaves and even flowering. From my experience in So.Cal., mature plants that naturally go dormant will almost never have any claws and will be clean rounded at each branch end. Young plants and plants that are taken inside before they have completed growing will often have small claws on the branch ends. Remember we are dealing with plants from the tropics of Central America and the islands south of Florida. Their dormancy is a natural adaption to the drought periods not to freezing weather. In the temperate regions, the cold and the short periods of light trigger the dormancy but often the grower has to rescue the plants from the cold and thus force an early dormancy, pulling in a plant that still has small leaves growing from the branch end. The plant that was cut in the valley in February was probably coming out of dormancy early due to its size and the warm weather that the valley can have in early spring. I would guess that in January it had no claws showing. This year, So.Cal has been so warm all fall, that I only have 6 plants bare, while I have 20 still flowering, about 60 fully green, and about 40 in various stages of dropping leaves. I really wonder what this year will be like since at this time last year, two thirds of my plants were dormant by now. I used to think the shorter light was the trigger, but now I feel it is a combination of light and heat. Wierd year.

Goodmorning Everybody ! :) I heard from my swappers last night...:))) Mariann I have a couple of surprizes for you...We love putting surprizes in our boxes Regina started it.. Chell you are so creative and your writing is so much fun to read... I bet the boys loved playing pirate.. I can see their smiling faces now...What a great idea to make a hideout.. They will always remeber their hideout mom made for them... Norma I havent traded with you but I am sure you went way above in sending her nice cuttings..I seen pics of what you send...They are awesome boxes..:)) Please dont be sad..:)) Regina howdy :) I am so sorry about Mark having to have surgery and the heart condition would just send me into heaven.. Wow I am so glad to read it all went well...Shooo My heart sank for a minute...He will be all healed for college this fall..:)) You empty nester dont go through what I went through...Stay busy and call them alot... I miss my kids so much it hurts sometimes... Dogs are okay but they cant replace our true babies...I love reading about chell and her boys... It makes me smile so much... Frances lol You poor gardener..ahhah You need a break from mother nature..Really..:)) Oh big snakes yucky... I would be screaming... I love chippies...They are so cute...Havent had many around with a cat now...Kiki has brought home two gardener snakes...He was very proud of himself... Yesterday I was getting ready to go out and play in the dirt...The crows or blackbirds were screaming...It just like a scene in the movie the "birds"... It creeped me out really bad...I couldnt see what they were yelling at.. I watched tv...Than got bored and went coleus shopping..lol The master gardener sale for the next county over is tommorow... I cant wait to see what they are going to be offering..I have never been to this one...Oh I almost forgot..I heard from the master gardener I met...Looks like we are building another gh..lol She wants to do it closer to fall since everyone is busy with their gardens...I am glad we could help her..They are a pain to build.. well I gabbed enough lol must be the strong coffee and I got a lot of sleep...:)) Have a good day everybody..Barb