First, let's hope the sick pup is ok, and the ck-up turns out fine for the rest of the litter. I haven't a politically correct bone in my body, and I do think that 'Indian name' is much better for the yarn than 'native American' name, so that's what I'm using. I do think how I got my Indian name is sort of anticlimactic to how my brother got his; HIS story has traveled the world. It's better told in person or on the phone, but if you promise to put your imagination to work in places, I'll do my best to do it justice in its writing. I swear on my life that the story is entirely true. A group of about 5 guys that hunted and fished together regularly, somehow, over the years, came up with Indian names for each other that came into being as a result of some occurrence or combination of occurrences that happened while afield. For example, my son's Indian name is 'Two Deer Spook Me'. He got his Indian name because he fell backwards off the ladder he used to climb into his elevated deer stand when two small bucks appeared as he ascended - then subsequently descended in an unceremonious pratfall. I was saddled with my Indian name one day on a wild river while fishing for steelhead trout. About 2 miles downstream from where we had set camp, I began to experience some pretty severe abdominal distress. I found myself in sudden need of getting the waders that were nearly up to my neck, somewhat lower than another important body part that is a major player in times of this type of distress. I probably don't need to explain any further, other than to mention that my waders were poorly positioned for desperate times. Just knowing that my Indian name will forever be '$hits His Boots' probably allows you to fill in all the blanks and picture that awful day. Ok - those were cute, but now to the main story. I think 4 of the 5 of us were together, hunting on some vacant acreage I keep for that purpose near the Lake Huron shore the day my brother got his Indian name. It was opening day of the MI rifle deer season, and as is our custom, all the guys had exited the woods after dark and were gathered at the front of the property in a clearing by the main road. We were relating the day's experiences, telling lies about how big and how many the deer were. Imagine the group talking quietly as they borrowed warmth from the hissing Coleman lantern that cast lively shadows against the backdrop of the dark woods. There were two guests that day, so 6 people. One of the guests, Jim, the BIL of one of the regulars, had a severe stuttering problem; the more excited he would become, the worse the stuttering. Now I said you had to help me out by using your imagination, so as I spin this story, you have to imagine the look on Jim's face and the escalation in his stuttering and gesturing. I'll do my best here. Everyone had told their story at least twice, and were prolly starting on the third go 'round as new embellishments were thought up and added. My brother Fred, nickname Fritz, Indian name 'Glove Finder', had noticed that Jim was only wearing one glove. FWIW, it was an el cheapo brown jersey glove. My brother casually reached into his pocket and came up with an exact match to Jim's solo glove. He grinned a big grin and held it between his thumb and index finger, swinging it side to side like a hypnotist's watch on a shortened chain, and with a smug look on his face that accused Jim of being foolish enough to lose a glove on such a cold day, he chided, "Hey Jim, did you lose something!? I found it by the trail in (to the woods) this morning." Jim fell completely apart. He laughed and coughed and wheezed as he tried to speak. He got "Oh my God" out ok, but the rest went something like this: "I-I-I-I was ou-ou-ou-out in the wo-wo-wo-wo woods th-this m-m-mornin' ........ an-an-and I I I ha-had-had to t-t-t-t-t-take a sh-sh-sh-sh-shi-$hit, and and and I di-didn't h-have a-anyth-th-th-thing t-t-t-to w-wipe mys-s-s-self w-with, s-s-s-so-so I u-u-u-u-used my g-g-g-glove!!" Then we ALL fell apart ..... except for poor Glove Finder, of course. He didn't think it was as funny as we did. I don't know why, but he gets soooooo ticked at me if I tell that story when he's around. It IS a perfectly good story .... I think. Oh - I actually abbreviated Jim's stuttering. It took him much longer to actually get it out, than it took to type even the condensed version. And that's how, that night, in that clearing, brother Fritz got his Indian name. Al

Futility...Your plant is a Yucca, not Dracaena Marginata. Yucca's should be grown as succulents. 5'/five-feet from an east window is not sufficient. Yucca's are sun lovers, prefer south or west exporsure. I didn't read all replies, so maybe this was mentioned. Instead of sticking your finger in the soil, use a long stake, or lift pot for weight to test soil for moisture. The top might feel dry, but deeper down, nearest the roots, water can linger. Yucca's are slow-growing therefore require little fertilizer. Two-Three times a year will suffice. Yuccas also prefer cooler temps. Some varieties more than others. So, please keep your Yucca in a room that's not over 70F degrees. Pic 1...your Yucca is very healthy and green. PS: Don't trust labels. Sometimes, the wrong label is placed in a plant, but more often than not, customers remove a tag to read care instructions, than place in a different plant. I used to work at HD; customers placed tags in different pots often. Toni

Stem is long because plant wants more light. They are quite compact plants and under enough light will not grow long stems. Even if you behead it, it will grow same way unless it gets enough light. Do you keep plants outdoors during summer? If not, you really should consider supplemental lights otherwise all your succulents will grow stretched - etiolated. Plants in photo above didn't grow long stem since it is under lights; here it is when purchased (in this photo it is in small green plastic pot, just sitting on top of bigger pot): Compare to the photo in my previous post - it is not taller, just grew few rows of leaves (and it is growing inflorescence too). It may have been even bigger if I didn't knock it off the table few months ago & broke few leaves :( -damage still visible.

Not sure what sources you have been reading, but here in So Cal these plants LOVE our winters because they are cool and rainy (or at least they used to be). Aeoniums are very thirsty plants and it is nearly impossible to overwater them in winters… however, if hot, that is NOT when you want to water them liberally unless you have them in a relatively shady location and water them carefully… these plants do not like broiling summer sun and high heat and low humidity makes their roots shrink up… water them heavily then, and you could easily rot your plant. In your zone 9a, some can be marginal (the variety you have can do well some winters, and have trouble other winters)… some seem very well adapted to this climate (I live in 9a, too, bordering on 8b) and about half the cultivars like the winters, and the other half croak in the cold. But all hate the summers. By the way, your plant in the dark green pot seems a bit etiolated (suffering from lack of light)… may grow faster and taller, but that certainly does not translate necessarily into 'better'. In fact, usually etiolated plants end up being weaker. You always want your Aeoniums to be compact… leaves spread out along the stem like that is not a sign of health. Try to keep your plants it brighter light in winters (summers are a different matter, but full shade is still not ideal… protection from afternoon sun, is, though. plants in February growing in soggy clay, Tarzana, California plants in summer (August) very unhappy… this is NOT a time to water these plants heavily, though plants grown in nearly full shade… colors nearly completely green, though still not too etiolated