I've been offered a "red bird plant" that is described as having variegated leaves that if exposed to sunlight get red tips, making the stem of leaves look like a red bird. She said it does not bloom with a flower, the only color is in the foliage. The donor described the plant as able to be outside during the late spring and summer, but needs to come in during the winter (and since our winters are fairly mild, this leads me to believe it may be a tropical or semi-tropical plant.) Does anyone know of a non-blossoming, variegated leaf plant that might be the elusive "red bird" plant?
Wellll ..?.. one of the common names for Pedilanthus is "red bird cactus" (also called "devil's backbone") - there are definitely variegated types, and the coloring does become more vibrant with sun exposure - it is semi-tropical, and while it does have flowers, they do not have the appearance of "traditional" flowers. Maybe that's what she has? Here's a link to an image search that I did using the keywords "variegated Pedilanthus with flowers"
I would suspect that no matter what the plant is it will have a "flower" at some point maybe a spath, maybe a bract... maybe years in between and maybe never for some people, but most likely it had to come from a seed at some point.
I'm betting on PEDILANTHUS tithymaloides 'Variegatus' It does flower, but evidently not when in your friends care. It is also called the Redbird Flower plant. That's the trouble with common names, makes it difficult sometimes to ID them properly. It's aka.... Small's redbird flower, Slipper plant, devil's backbone, zig zag plant, red slipper purge, zapatilla del diablo, Persian lady slipper, Slipper Flower, Japanese Poinsettia, Gallito, Sapatito de la Virgen, cacto cardenal.
Thank you all--I think you nailed it! When I get my start I'll post a photo. I asked her if it was a fern of any sort (thinking spores rather than seed setting blooms) and she said she didn't think so. She's a nice little old lady, but a bit vague when it comes to plants!
Pedilanthus tithymaloides is a synonym of Euphorbia tithymaloides, which I put a link to in the database here. Chocolate uploaded a pic of one blooming.
Speaking of Euphorbia's...I have a Euphorbia sort called Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow', and the leaves at the top of the stem are reddish orange. I wonder if it could be the plant in question. It will be interesting to finally learn what the plant is.
Red bird is the most widely used common name for Euphorbia/Pedilanthus tithymaloides. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphorbia_tithymaloides That common name is listed in the database here for that plant: http://www.gardenstew.com/plantstew/28358 How long will this juicy suspense last, Marlin?
