Sounds like you found some lovely plants. I'm no expert, here, but I've grown all three so I can give you my experience. In general, I believe rex begonias and AVs thrive in the same environment, so, yes, that was a good move. If your 'escago' gets direct sun in that window, watch the leaves for any bleaching or burning. That one wants whatever humidity you can give it, so good that you grouped it with the other plants. I grew NIP years ago. I found a tiny one in a 4" pot and grew it for years, to a five-foot tall and wide tree. When it started its life with me, I lived in a very sunny, very cool apartment, with original windows from 1906--very drafty in the winter. I believe these trees like it on the cool side. Mine was on the eastern-exposure side of an E-S-W bay window. I never had any trouble with it until I moved to a new place, with warmer indoor temps and weird plastic replacement windows. I didn't take extra care to increase humidity, but I did group my NIP with other plants. It did burn once--I can't remember, now, if it was outside (in the shade, in summer) or inside (in direct sun). Other than that, it was an easy houseplant in a bright, cool environment. My NIP put out five or six buds at a time, one central one for the leader and four or five side ones, spaced evenly around the leader bud, that grew into new branches. I wonder if what you're seeing are the new side branches growing. Whatever's happening, it sounds good. The branches are quite flexible when they're small, so you might be able to train one into a leader if you want a taller tree. The thing about cyclamen, again in my experience, is that they need cooler temps than most heated houses. I've never been able to maintain one as a houseplant, although my mother, who keeps her house on the 50s (F) during winter, does pretty well with them. They don't rebloom for her but they put out leaves each year. They are sensitive to over-watering. I would put it in the coolest place you have. I have cats, too, and I'm familiar with the "fish all the pebbles out of the pebble tray" game. ;) Hours of fun! Amanda

The butterwort is similar to pinguicula primuliflora. You won't need to wait to spring to divide them since all your plants are tropical It's your choice if you want to divide them.But if I were you I would leave them the way they are. Good luck, Adrian

Donna, it almost sounds like you are going to kill them with kindness. You should be able to take cuttings now. I don't bag mine for humidity, I dust with rooting hormone, insert in 5" deep plastic pots with drainage holes filled with any commercial potting soil and sit in shade. Water occasionally to keep moist. When it gets a little later, you could place the pots someplace semi protected...under a rhododendron is good - mother nature will do the rest. If we have an frigid blast of cold weather predicted (winter before last :) ), you could move the pots into an unheated porch or garage temporarily. If you have a large plant with flexible stems, pinning a branch to the ground with a brick or rock will usually assure layering - a new plant to cut free from the parent plant and pot up or transplant in Spring.

When I buy plants like impatiens and begonias in the spring, I usually cut them back right away. By cutting them back I get bushier plants. I root the cuttings and as a bonus I get more then double the plants I started with. To all those new to taking cuttings I would recommend doing a search on this forum for Pinching & Poking annuals, there are pictures of how to take a cutting. I think that might be the cause of some of the problems that people are having with their cuttings. If you don't take the cutting correctly you wont have success in rooting it.