Question

what is this?   I can't recall what this plant is and I've tried everything.  It was one of my daughter's plants.  She watered her plants every two weeks but the leaves on this one kept falling off.  I began watering every week, same thing.  I went to two week watering and it actually sprouted new leaves.  I stayed on two week watering and all leaves turned brown and fell off; tiny new leaf growth seems to have turned brown also.  I just watered it today at the 1-1/2 week mark.  I don't know what to do with this plant.  It is supposed to be some sort of "flowering" exotic???  Can you help me?

Answer
Dear Jill, This is a desert rose, a very beautiful flowering exotic plant that can grow into a small tree.  Fortunately, it is fairly forgiving, so you may be able to save it.  I suspect that the big problem is that the plant is not getting enough light.  This is actually a plant that prefers hot or warm, bright conditions.  Now since you live in New York and it is winter, this is going to be hard to do.  In conditions like this the plant will go dormant, but I would try to start to coax it back to active growing.  Just being near a window probably won't be enough and it's too cold outside, so you will need to get a grow light or maybe even a bright desk lamp to be near.  This will help perk it up.  In the meantime, reduce the water until new leaves start to appear.  Before you reduce the water, I notice on enlarging the photo that I can just make out the beginning of a white ring on the inside of the pot.  This is salt buildup.  Scrub this off with a used toothbrush and run a lot of water through the pot.  Then reduce the water.  Water about once a week or when plant is dry to about 1/2" below surface of soil.  When new leaves start to grow you will water more often, but allow plant to nearly dry out and it will be happier.  Be sure the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot is open and never leave the pot in a dish with standing water.  In addition, give it fertilizer and Osmocote is absolutely the best choice for this particular plant because it is recommended that you feed it every time you water and Osmocote does that without ever having to mix, and it supplies nutrients at the right amount.  I don't see any signs of mealybugs, scale, spider mites or fungus, but if you do suspect bugs at any time, then you can spray with NEEM which is an organic ingredient and very safe.  One last thing, this plant is very poisonous, so keep the flowers and dead leaves away from children and pets.  You should have blooms by summer, perhaps sooner.  I hope this information helps but let me know if you have more questions.  Good luck.  Melissa