Devil's Backbone Plant Care Tips

There are numerous fun and descriptive names for the devil’s backbone plant indoor. In an effort to describe the blooms, the Devil’s backbone plant has been called red bird flower, Persian lady slipper, and Japanese poinsettia. For the foliage include rick rack plant and Jacob’s ladder. Whatever you call it, learn how to grow the devil’s plant for unique and easy to care for indoor flora.

The scientific name for this Devil’s backbone, Pedilanthus tithymaloides, means foot-shaped flower. This devil’s plant is native to the American tropics. It makes a superb houseplant with its 2 foot about 61 cm tall stems, alternate leaves, and colorful “flowers” which are actually bracts or modified leaves.  The leaves are lancy and thick on wiry stems. The bract color may be white, green, red, or pink. This devil’s plant is a member of the spurge family. No devil’s backbone plant information would be complete without noting that the milky sap may be poisonous to some people. Devil's  plant Care should be exercised when handling the plant.  Here Devil’s backbone is available on Urban Plants!

Growing the devil's plant is easy and propagation even simpler. Just cut a 4 to 6 inch about 10 to 15 cm section of the stem from the plant. Cut out the callus for a few days and then insert it into a pot filled with perlite.  Keep the perlite lightly humid until the stems root. Then repot the new devil's plants in a good houseplant potting soil. Care of devil’s backbone baby plants is the same as the adult plants.

The Devil’s backbone indoors likes bright indirect sunlight. Devil’s Plant in direct sun in fall and winter, but give it a little protection from stinging hot rays in spring and summer. Just turning the slats enough to keep the tips of the leaves from sizzling.  Watering the devil’s plants when the top few inches about 8 cm of soil feels dry. Keep it only medium moist, yet not soggy.  The devil’s backbone plant produces the best growth with a once per month fertilizer solution diluted by half. Devil’s backbone plant indoors does not need to be fed in the dormant seasons of fall and winter.  Choose a location in the home when growing Pedilanthus indoors. It doesn’t tolerate breezes, which can kill off the tips of the growth.

Repot your plant every three to five years or as needed in a rich indoor plant mix with plenty of sand mixed in to increase drainage. Use unglazed pots, which allow excess moisture to freely evaporate and prevent moist root damage.  Unchecked devils plants may get up to 5 feet about 2 m in height. Prune off any problem branches and trim out lightly in late winter to keep the plant in good form.

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