Seems like you have the magic touch with these, Stush.

Christopher

There is an old story. Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while.

Doc. I am glade yours made it.

Those are Gorgeous.

I really didn't want to show these because they pale by comparison to Stan's plants.

Before (????)

Before (3/2014)

Today

WHOA!

those are magnificent specimens, Howard. Is that a humble brag?

No. Stan's plants are that much nicer and he should get the credit. But thank you

I think you're right in that you got some good stock.

But I'm sure you've seen the etiolation that typically follows when someone gets a nice starter/cutting.

Absolutely

No credit for me. Doc did a nice job again. Did you find any reversions in yours. I don't see any.

I have been busy all day with water coming in thru my foundation and running sump pumps. Too much water today. Where was it last week.

Stush

Oh my gosh, stush. I everything okay? Is there anything an engineer could do to remedy this problem for you? That seems like an awful large burden.

I pray your burdens be lifted and your anxiety eased. Amin.

Sorry everyone, I couldn't just leave it at that negative statement. The butterfly effect n'all'at.

Fortunately, Stan, I haven't had any revert. If I see something strange, I will burn the daylights out of it!

is there a reason other than aesthetics to cut off a reversion.

RICHARD

Yes, Richard. Aside from, IMHO, detracting from the form and aesthetics of the plant, the risk of the entire plant reverting is something you wouldn't want. That revision will not ever crest.

Howard, I don't mean to contradict you and perhaps this particular species is different than some of the other crested Euphorbias but I have seen some revert back to crested after growing a few feet.

I think the cresting reverting has to do with cultural conditions.

Think about it: why did they evolve practically leaveless, succulent bodies with spines? The same reason as cactus, to reduce water loss through transpiration.

now, if one were to grow a plant hard, perhaps the plant would react by taking that reaction further in order to further enhance it's ability to fight dessication.

I hypothesis these crest and monstrose variations/mutations (whatever is responaible) is due to a physical variable. Likely our feast or famine throughout the year watering habits being different from the slow and steady moisture obtained from morning dews in their natural habitat.

perhaps Stanley's is reverting often because he lives in PA where it's wetter so they receive a little bit of water through humidity throughout the year from rainfall, etc.

I think going from the extremes of wet and very dry help push this transformation along.

it's too bad I can't test it in a lab for you guys :(

Howard, reversions do crest. Richard, I like the simple contrariness of the normal one, but it's all in your hands.

Thanks Jeff and Lati. I've just never had my Euphorbia revisions crest nor have I had my Echeveria or Aeonium crests revert. Must be my growing conditions or ???? Anyway thx.

Well, this is interesting Howard.

do you leave the reversion attached or do you remove them after 4 inches like stush?

It depends on whether I want what's growing. I had a Euphorbia flanaganii crest that grew several normal medusoid heads. Once they got large enough that I felt they could be removed and rooted, I did remove them and eventually sold them. If I don't want what's growing, I take a red hot wire and cauterize the gowing rip so my callous is smaller and in time is almost completely lost in new growth.

Ah, that makes much more sense...I believe the medusiad plants are more complex organisms, is this correct?

The columnar Euphorbias are pretty much just one-trick-ponies.

Don't really know if any one Euphorbia is more complex than another. Certainly, across the species, one must exercise great care as to growing conditions etc. Now if that's complex then yes.

Well, I mean like....

a columnar Euphorbia is more like a worm and the medusiamedusiad are more like....cephalopods. one organism is more complex in its body functions and abilities than the other.

I don't have one of these, so I am just inferring based on the form of the plant.

I think in nature, plants try to go back to the original growth that guarantied it's success in the first place. Now what caused it? I do believe it's radiation. It mutates most life forms it comes in contact with. A crest is not better than its original form. Crest are top heavy and falls over easily and with a lot of damage. In the natural world, may have been from Solar Flares. Who knows?

Stush

If it is radiation, which it very likely could be, I think we can probably attribute it to the testing done in the 30s and 40s as well as all the radiation we're bombarded with every day.

its just a little wifi, but I'm sure it's cumulative. Yes, radio waves are a type of radiation; cell phone transmissions, really any wireless communication that we (the gen pop) are currently aware of are all forms of radiation.

sometimes I wonder if that's what causes such widespread tinnitus. Do you hear it?

Don't forget the bombing of Japan which ended the war. It is said that all the color cactus that you find grafted came from areas around bomb sites. Can't back up this statement.

That's an interesting urban legend. I wonder if there's any truth to it. You never know, really.

Lots of them come from Korea though. Now if you had said maybe Russia and Japan, then maybe....you know....Chernobyl, fukushima, 3 mile island.

oh, I'm pretty sure that last one is in New Jersey or Pennsylvania? New York? One of those cold New England places, I'm pretty sure...man...can't remember the details other than: Yes, it's even happened in America.

That is quite the peculiarity.

Bkempress,

No those leaves will not grow back. My crest did not do well on those stocks. They are Euphorbia nerifolia or Indian Spurge Tree. I had one that sprouted a side stem which I removed and grew out on it's own. It grew almost 4 ft. before I gave it away. Too big for me to lug in and out every year.

Those are all gorgeous..I don't own any of these yet,never see them around here.

Kathi

What would you suggest she do with the root stock and crest? Can the crest survive without the rootstock? Why did they graft it? Aesthetics? So it eventually breaks? That must be it. They do it to make children cry.

Thanks Stush2049 I did just bring it in from outside; it probably could have stayed out longer but I did not want to chance it.

Im 5'1; couldnt imagine wrestling an almost 4ft plant.

Great questions lacticauda I couldn't have asked them better. Also does the stem grow along with the crest? I did wonder about it breaking off since it grew so much ... *sits and waits patiently for the experts*

Grafting is the fastest way to grow and multiply stock. It really does grow faster on these stocks. And no the stocks doesn't grow any more. Might get thicker and maybe just a little bit taller but basically no. It should be ok to leave it alone. If you do see any bottom side growth. Do what I did. Cut it off and grow it on it's own. You can always give it away.

What if the crest breaks off? The scion is *able* to sustain itself without the rootstock, right? So long as you let it dry and then root it?

Just wanted to say that mutations are not necessarily caused by radiation! Many environmental factors can cause this too. =)

The most ionizing radiation (the types that can affect dna) plants would receive is background radiation found normally in soil.

Wifi and cell radiation is non-ionizing and has no harm to cells whatsoever.

Relatively speaking, atomic bombs, nuclear power, and other such human things have little or no impact on the average person and plant.

So if you see any memes that radiation caused cresting don't believe them! (Source - I work with radiation regularly)

Lol.

well, they can't prove there are no effects just like they can't prove there are effects. So it's safer for them to say "no, it can't affect you"

but for those it has a physical effect on, it's real.

Just like regular sound can't kill or make you sick? That's not true either but it took a sick office building for humans to discover it.

im just blabbering. Don't mind me, I haven't had any food and my blood sugar is a bit low.

Ack....and it derails the thread too.

...no more sugar, you'll be even more hyper...:)

Boxes are going out. Delayed by storm but looks good now.

Do be careful, Stush!

Hopefully I won't be followed here by any trolls, scolding me for talking about something other than plants in your thread.

If such nastiness does follow me here, I give my most sincere apologies, Stush.

Oh, I have a question for Howard and Stush. Are all of the crested lactea you have grafted or self-rooted?

Own roots for all. I am not into graphed plants... just me, I guess.

I'm wondering if that might have anything to do with reversion? *waits for Stan's answer*

I do like the own root idea but to get so many plants so cheaply grafting is the only way to go. Own roots are better in the long run. Own root roses are far better than the grafted ones. No suckers to worry about but with all good, there is bad. Some of the wild root stock is hardier and can take more disease and bug infestations. So like life, it is a trade off.

I let the Io moth larva eat my reverted wild roses.

they gotta eat too.

this one was given as a trade. as

Richard

Richard, is that from low light conditions? It doesn't seem like stretched growth though.

wait...ARE THOSE LEAVES? !

laticauda

actually the back got more light as it was facing the window.

they do look like tiny leaves to me.

Richard

Richard

That is way cool....maybe it's getting enough light but it's just not very intense so the growth can stay tender and green? Does anyone have any insight into this phenomenon or am I just going to keep hypothesizing without anything to test?

Richard - new growth on my plant looks a little more yellowish, too. Then it eventually fades to a more bluish looking growth.

Crenda thank you I guess it normal and I just never noticed it before.

Richard

Richard it is possible we both have weird plants! There's nothing normal at my home. LOL