Some updates on the Liddle cuttings. H. amoena, which I had cut into three pieces to root, has new growth on all three cuttings. I think that's going to be a pretty one! H. sp. aff. vitellina was the one that had broken into three pieces and I had to contact David to make sure I got the right end planted down on one of them. All three have new growth - one a long viney piece, the other two are just starting to grow. But it got so rootbound and top heavy that I had to move it up to a bigger pot already - about a 5" pot, ceramic because I think it will just get heavier with time...

H. samoensis, which is two rooted cuttings, has new vines on each which have intertwined and are growing upward - have several new leaves forming. It seems happy! The leaves of H. pusilla still look kind of sad, but it looks like it's settled in and I'm sure new leaves will look nice. In fact, I took a new vine off of it for some reason (maybe I broke it??) It was leafless, but had leaf buds, so I planted it and put it in the aquarium. Well, it rooted and has two new leaves. I just took it out of the aquarium today and set it next to the mother plant. When it's good and established, I'll put them together. Don't want to disturb new roots quite yet...

H. naumanii - I'm still not sure what I think of this one. It's big leaves are nice, but it's rather plain. It's a single rooted cutting and I plan to cut and root another piece in spring. Right now, it has at least one new growth point - maybe two, but one of them looks like it might have gotten damaged, but I'm not sure. It's kind of wierd - hard feeling, not soft like typcial new growth. But I notice the one that is defitely ok feels hard, too, so maybe it's just the way this one grows... Another big-leaved one is megalaster - it's one I was sure I would lose because it was so dehydrated. I salved one piece (I lost one) and the leaves rehydrated and it has a single new growth point. Reminds me a bit fo archboliana for the skinny little stems that hold the big foliage. But the leaves are much thinner than archboliana (at least at this point...) And I rooted a cutting of thompsonii (that I got from Awanda) in with the megalaster and it's got new growth and at least 3 new leaves developing. The leaves on this one are kind of cardboardish, dark green and silver splashed leaves. Very pretty! I can't wait for it to flourish!

Then we have magnifica, another big leaved variety. Leaves are thin and a pale green, and it looks like it will be a fast grower once we get to spring. It continues to grow now in the sunroom and looks great. H. hellwigiana is the only one that has refused to grow. It's rooted, but does nothing. **Sigh** I had a big beautiful one from Carol a few years ago and lost it. I loved it and have wanted one ever since. I hope it doesn't turn out to be one of those I can't grow...

As for how other cuttings are doing... I got carnosa cv. 'Dee's Big One' this summer from Awanda - I think there are three pieces and all rooted nicely, but it's been pretty dormant. However, I just spotted a teeny-tiny growth nubbin with just the tiniest of leaves developing! This one is going to be a beauty, I'm bettin'! I also threw in a couple pieces of that Dischidia I like so much with the apple-green, heart shaped leaves that I struggled to root. I've got a small potfull that is doing well (knock on wood) and these two pieces I'm trying to root will help fill that pot. (For some reason, I find that rooting cuttings help other cuttings to root when put together - hormones, maybe??)

And speaking of Dischidias, I've got one little piece of rosea left that did manage to root. It seems to be holding on and I hope I can get it through the winter so that it will grow for me. Of course, it seems like the ones I like the most are the ones I find the hardest to grow! The other one is griffithii - I had a 4" potfull rooted, then some of it died. I ignored it (which seems the best course of action sometimes with Dischidias!) and a week or so ago, I unpotted it and salvaged tow pieces, both of which seem to be in good condition.

D. nr. Burma is flowering for the first time. The fasciated form of acuminata has tiny buds that are really weird and seem to be stuck in suspended animation. My very succulent clone of ovata (in the tiny pot) is budding up, as well as my big ol' potfull of the larger/thinner leaved one. I love the flowers on ovata!

I salvaged a couple tiny pieces of H. picta, but I have a feeling they won't make it. We'll see... I had to repot my hairy kerrii because it wasn't doing so hot - I have a feeling it was the pot. I have a ceramic pot that I have trouble growing anything in and I've heard sometimes cheap ceramics can leach toxins into the soil. Anyway, the plant was dehydrated towards the base, but once I repotted it, the leaves plumped back up - all but one, which I cut off.