Photo request for Phil - Dr. Alexander vs. Dr. Alix

Crazy for Crotons · Oct 19, 2009

Phil,

Could you please post a photo of what we've been calling Dr. Alexander? I think it's a semi oak leaf variety near your gargantuan Beccariophoenix.

There's a plant in the old book called Dr. Alix which is the very distinct looking oak leaf. This is the plant members were trading on Saturday and different from the one I descibed above.

Ray

Jeff Searle · Oct 19, 2009

Crazy for Crotons said:
Phil,

Could you please post a photo of what we've been calling Dr. Alexander? I think it's a semi oak leaf variety near your gargantuan Beccariophoenix.

There's a plant in the old book called Dr. Alix which is the very distinct looking oak leaf. This is the plant members were trading on Saturday and different from the one I descibed above.

Ray

Well, they are spelled differently,right? Are you asking if their suppose to be the same plants, or totally different, but with very similar sounding names?

I was one that got one on saturday, and I just love it!

Crazy for Crotons · Oct 19, 2009

Jeff,

I've never seen a Dr. Alexander reference in a book or catalogue anywhere but have heard the name thrown around. I have a hunch the plant we've been describing as Dr. Alexander is a plant in reasoner's catalogue named "Czar Alexander III" ("semi oak leaf with red midrib and pink splotching"). Phil and I have this "Dr. Alexander." Mine is out of color but Phil's looks great from what I remember. The Reasoner's description for "Czar Alexander III fits his plant to a tee.

Dr. Alix is the distinct oak leaf you got on Saturday. Take a look at the old book description and tell me if you agree. I believe Keith mistakenly called it Dr. Alexander whe he handed it to you.

Ray

Marie Nock · Oct 19, 2009

Ray,
For what it's worth...
John Bender had a croton that he called Dr. Alexander because he didn't know the name and he got his cutting from a plant in Dr. Julius Alexander's yard. It's a small semi oak leaf that gets entirely red in the right light. I know that Keith has this plant because I saw it at his place last week.

If that's the one you're talking about, it could have a "real" name.
Marie

Marie Nock · Oct 19, 2009

Ray,
I forgot to mention that Bob Pope has a croton that he calls Dr. Alexander's Big Oak ( a different Dr. Alexander) because he doesn't have the true ID. When you saw that one at our place, you thought it might have been Mdme. Ferdinand Kohl.
Marie

Phil Stager · Oct 19, 2009

Here's the one I've been calling Dr. Alex (Alix ? spelling). Let's not confuse this with:
Dr. Alexander as explained by Marie
Czar or Tsar Alexander III
Ben Alexander

Keith does have a very colorful Dr. Alex which I have seen - and he has the above described Dr. Alexander. Any comments Kieth??

Onward through the fog....

Crazy for Crotons · Oct 19, 2009

Thanks Marie! The historical info should help clarify things a bit.

Phil, that is the semi oak Czar Alexander III described in Reasoner's catalogue ("semi oak, mostly black with a and red midrib with pink splotches"). The Dr. Alix plant described in Dr. Brown's old book is a distinctive oak leaf. Jeff will tell you the plant he got from Keith Saturday is not the same plant Phil just posted. The plant Keith have Jeff on Saturday is an oak leaf.

We've just identified another old cultivar.

koki · Oct 19, 2009

I have one of these in Pine Island. Got it the same day as Phil. The leaves get the length of stoplight. Nice plant, seems rare.

Moose · Oct 19, 2009

This is turning into a real nice thread! Koki, Marie, Ray and Jeff - some posting of photos of your plants would be real sweet.......

PLEASE !!!!!

keith · Oct 19, 2009

As Marie stated above, I got my plant from the POPE [codiaeum pope-John Bender]
He called it Dr. Alexander, named after the man who gave it to him. Jeff forgive my
spelling, drop the s if I put one in there.

Jeff Searle · Oct 20, 2009

keith said:
As Marie stated above, I got my plant from the POPE [codiaeum pope-John Bender]
He called it Dr. Alexander, named after the man who gave it to him. Jeff forgive my
spelling, drop the s if I put one in there.

The description in the old book for Doctor Alix is pretty vague, but this could be the the plant I got from Keith on saturday.

So.....are we now calling this plant Dr. Alix?

Crazy for Crotons · Oct 20, 2009

Taken from the Christian papers:

Doctor Alix - oak leaf, 4" X 12" - midrib rection very long. Ground color green later turning to purplish black, veined and blotched yellow and splashed crimson.

Per Bob Alonzo, Doctor Alix is a very distinct and unusual looking oak leaf.

Czar Alexander III - semi oak, 3" X 10" - A very striking variety. Ground color is black red with a deep red midrib. Veins are outlined rosey red and balance of leaf is marbled and splashed pink, rose and red. Very fine.

Phil's photos fit the Czar Alexander description.

Jeff Searle · Nov 4, 2009

Crazy for Crotons said:
Taken from the Christian papers:

Doctor Alix - oak leaf, 4" X 12" - midrib rection very long. Ground color green later turning to purplish black, veined and blotched yellow and splashed crimson.

Per Bob Alonzo, Doctor Alix is a very distinct and unusual looking oak leaf.

Czar Alexander III - semi oak, 3" X 10" - A very striking variety. Ground color is black red with a deep red midrib. Veins are outlined rosey red and balance of leaf is marbled and splashed pink, rose and red. Very fine.

Phil's photos fit the Czar Alexander description.

Ray,

This is the plant I got from Keith. It's absolutely gorgeous! And, then come to find out, I already had one of these, but a much smaller plant and not showing the beautiful crimson reds yet. This is one hell of a nice looking croton.

Moose · Nov 4, 2009

Jeff Searle said:
Ray,

This is the plant I got from Keith. It's absolutely gorgeous! And, then come to find out, I already had one of these, but a much smaller plant and not showing the beautiful crimson reds yet. This is one hell of a nice looking croton.

I know someone who would be willing to adopt your smaller unwanted one.

Jeff Searle · Nov 8, 2009

Moose Knuckle said:
I know someone who would be willing to adopt your smaller unwanted one.

Ron,

Who said it's unwanted?

It's just the baby of the family......

junglegal · Oct 1, 2014

Old thread. This was my stick Lee gave away at Phil's. Was that 09 already? Anyway, it's slow but I managed to keep it alive. Here is my Czar Alexander? Seems to be picking up steam finally

ScotTi · Oct 1, 2014

Wow! That was o9? Where has the time gone? Here is my former stick.

Moose · Oct 2, 2014

Scott - did you get it as Doctor Alexander ?

junglegal · Oct 2, 2014

Moose, Scott & I talked about that last weekend when I saw him. We both recall the sticks being referred to as Dr. Alexander. We got ours on the same day.