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purpleinopp

Dormant plants you thought were dead

Have you thrown away a plant in the past because you thought it was dead but have since learned it was probably just dormant? I probably did kill some of them by watering them to death during dormancy (combined with using terrible 'soil') but am confident I could succeed knowing what I know now (although most of these are perennials where I live now.) Seems it's usually bulbs/tubers...

Bougainvillea and mandevilla (what are they calling this today?) vines

Alocasia

purple-leaf Oxalis

Calla lilies

Cannas

Rosemary

...and probably others that aren't in my thoughts right now. What would you add to this list?

Comments (22)

  • marguerite_gw Zone 9a
    11 years ago

    Our new puppy was playing with a dead-looking tree in a pot in March; I put it up high because I was afraid the branches would stick in her neck. A few weeks later I noticed it coming into leaf, and realised it was a missing dwarf pomegranate which disappeared over a year ago. It seems that the wind must have blown it under a shed and she found it when she was in there scavenging for something to play with. When I was pruning an olive tree a little while ago I found my missing apricot tree, two years old. I had potted it with the olive and forgotten. I suppose they both came to life in a different way.

  • pirate_girl
    11 years ago

    Well I've had a couple of these:

    Alocasia amazonica (at least 2x)

    Plectranthus ernstii (2x)

    Adenium 'snowflake' (a gorgeous plant which never came back from dormancy?)

    Fess up everybody! It can't be just these few of us, come on now :>)

    Oh right, Calla Lillies (Zantedeschia) (from Secretary's Day 10 yrs. ago) I Lost 2 of those too!

  • amccour
    11 years ago

    Wait what causes Plectrantrhus ernstii to go dormant? Mine just started blowing leaves again for no apparent reason.

  • pirate_girl
    11 years ago

    Sorry AMC, I don't know, I'd be happy to tell ya if I did. What reading on this I found wasn't helpful, nor was the person who gave it to me.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Is that Plec the fuzzy one that smells so good? Add that to my list!

  • HelloPandaNF
    11 years ago

    I almost threw away my oxalis, before I realized it wasn't overwatered but just going dormant!

    On a similar note, I have thrown away quite a few cuttings (including a pachira cutting, of which the mother tree is dying...) before I knew the "white fungus" on the ends were roots! Always thought they were brown... Lol.

  • birdsnblooms
    11 years ago

    Not recently, but in the past I tossed Alocasia Amazonica, Alocasia 'Stingray,' a few Marantas/Calatheas, and Gingers.

    Dormant Plant Tossed

    In the late 80's, I received a free Voodoo Lily, Sauromatum Venosum, with an outdoor garden order.
    I followed instructions, but it never bloomed. Every spring up came foliage, but NO flower.
    A couple weeks ago, I decided to toss it. Too boring. Toni

  • jessiec777
    11 years ago

    I just almost tossed my gasteraloe "white wings". For the last couple months it had been brown and very stiff. I figured I had let ti dry out too much and killed it. I decided to give it one more good water and the thing turned bright green on me and the leaves plumped up :-)

  • amccour
    11 years ago

    I actually came close last year with this Trichodiadema I have. No leaves, caudex deflated, stem flopped over.

    Then it firmed up and leafed out basically over night. This is something I notice with nearly every mesemb I've tried to grow and I don't understand it.

    The fact that I've never really thrown out a dormant plant is actually more embarrassing and speaks to my lack of attention and general laziness. If a plant dies, it's going to be a very, very long time before I throw it out. I freely admit to being a slob.

    Somewhat related, I get the impression most people throw Hippeastrums out after they go dormant, which is a shame because they seem to make pretty good houseplants.

  • birdsnblooms
    11 years ago

    Amccour, besides Hippeastrums, people toss Azaleas, Hydrangeas, and other flowering plants.

    Many don't know if Easter Lily is planted outside, even in cold climates, it will return the following year.

    Same goes for Hyacinth and Daffs.

    They're bought as gift plants, then tossed after flowers die. Too sad. Toni

  • alavoneluvhoya
    11 years ago

    Alocasia polly. and giant philodendron. They come back every year and they are kept the the same big pot inside my home!

  • teengardener1888
    11 years ago

    Cyclamen
    persian shield
    Daffodil bulbs 5 times
    Tuberose(huuuuuuge blunder)
    Armaryllis(such a gorgeous plant)two times

  • stonesriver
    11 years ago

    Believe it or not, a China Doll. Thought it was dead so left it out all winter on the front porch. Ten-inch pot had snow in it several times.

    Come spring and voila! Lots of leaves on every branch and a wonderful specimen. Gave it to a friend when we moved.

    Who'd a thunk it?

    Linda

  • teengardener1888
    11 years ago

    i dint know china doll was hardy in tennesee

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    It's not, at least according to the handful of sources I checked. But if she means this past winter, 6b was probably more like 8a and with a little microclimate (brick porch?) effect, the plant felt 9a, it's supposed lowest hardy zone. A lot of the success of zone-pushing or oddities seems to be reliant on drainage, which would be at its' max in a pot on a porch, as far as locations go.

    This is a good example of how an experience with too much cold can put a plant that would never normally go dormant when kept as a house plant into dormancy. It's always worth giving those plants a 2nd chance to see if the entire life was snuffed out or just the foliage.

    Also, regarding zones and perennials in the ground, one can often have a plant survive, even for a few years in "the wrong zone" before it is truly frozen one year, but most plants in this unique condition never perform as well as they could in a more proper location. They struggle harder than they're supposed to. Zone guidelines are used for reasonable expectations based on years of experience, not unique or temporary occurrences.

  • stonesriver
    11 years ago

    China Dolls are not hardy in my zone. One planted in a 10" pot, *should* have died (which is why I started with "Believe it or not"). I forgot to say I thought it was dead because it had been left out in a hard freeze.

    Trust me, that China Doll was never left out again. :-)

    Linda

  • lavonn
    11 years ago

    I'd had my Cissus Discolor for years. It was showing No Signs of life this year. I ordered another. The day I got the new one I saw a Spark of life in My Old friend! I felt bad for Not having enough Faith in it!

  • albert_135   39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
    6 years ago

    After college and the military when I finally got my first house I bought a Sansevieria at Albertsons for 29¢ and put it on top of the water heater in the mud room and forgot it for several months over the winter. Spring cleaning I tossed it and it started growing in the trash pile.

  • B M
    6 years ago

    Creeping Jenny. I bought some for my pots last spring. After all the annuals died at the end of the season I removed them but kept the creeping jenny bc it looked ok. I moved it inside and tried to make it look better with no luck so after a few months I threw it out in the yard. This spring I noticed it was growing where I threw the clump of dirt in the yard so I went over and started inspecting, the thing was secured to the ground my the roots! It was crazy. I transferred the clump into a pot and it's doing great. It gets cold in Michigan and when I bought the creeping jenny it was labeled as an annual so I was shocked, still am for that matter.

  • Paul MI
    6 years ago

    Bridget, be forewarned that Creeping Jenny can quickly become a difficult to eradicate weed. It is not an annual and is fully hardy in Michigan -- which part of the problem. It spreads by seeds and runners. I would not recommend allowing it to run free in your lawn.

  • B M
    6 years ago
    hey Paul thanks. I've read it's invasive. I've dug up all of it that I can see but still keeping and eye on that spot and I'll pull it up as needed. We rent and our house is only going to be standing for about a decade longer (very sad bc it's a beautiful place) so I'm sure if I cant tame it the parking garage that is taking the spot of our house will.
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