PlantFiles: Hawaiian Snowbush, Redleaf Breynia, Snow Bush, Snow-on-the-Mountain, Sweetpea Bush
Breynia disticha 'Roseo-picta'

We in South Africa, call this an Ice cream bush, and I Have about 12 in my garden. I am really worried as 2 of my 7 foot tall and 5 4 foot wide Breynia have lost all their foliage, one of which then died completely, and the next one appears ready to follow suit. The little Breynia's near it, which I transplanted, 2 years ago, and were flourishing, are now starting to die off too. The others which are further away are still fine, but I am really scared they will be next. The garden is very wet, with a high water table, and I have not watered at all this winter, with the ground staying moist (wet) all the time.There do not appear to be any bugs or fungus type diseases on them, although a Bay leaf tree in the area has a black leaf disease. Can the problem be too much water? Please help urgently. Thanks

I purchased my plant at LSU and all they told me was to treat it like a hibicus. I put it in a sunny spot and my plant is not over 4' tall. I love the colors on the leaves. I haven't had any flowers thought. I'm in zone 8b so I guess I'll try to take cuttings before first frost.

This plant did not fare well for long in a pot, but now it grows very well for me in a ground bed in a warm greenhouse in zone 5b/6a.

I bought this plant (a good sized bush) last summer, planted it in a large terra cotta pot. Then this winter, we had a freeze and all the leaves fell off. I see that some very tiny leaves have appeared on a few of the twigs, but overall not enough to make it look as lovely as when I bought it. I am wondering if it needs some sort of fertilizing. We've had a great deal of rain the past few months.

Have always liked this shrub. Had them as a child and loved the tiny camouflage-colored flowers hiden on the underside of the branches and all the colors dappling the leaves. Quite a bit in this neighbor hood and other areas of the island. I beleive it's from the S. Pacific.

Partial shade, partial sun is perfect for this beautiful tree. Grows about 6 feet tall. Normal watering. Mine is against front wall in a garden bed near sprinklers.

One of the best plants for South Florida; attracts butterflies. The more you trim top and sides, the more multi-colored it becomes - a real showpiece.

Watch out for little caterpillars that can strip the leaves. The plant will come back strongly, though. But if you see the tree seem to be thinning out, they may be there. An amazing product is Rose & Garden Spray which effectively solves the problem, immediately. Spray right on the leaves where you see caterpillars.

The Roseo-Picta variety is one of the most beatiful foliage shrubs that thrives in zone 9b Florida. It self-propagates by sending up new shoots from the roots that can be removed and transplanted without any special care.

Older shrubs can exceed 7 feet hgt and can be prunned or thinned below, creating an interesting overhang for lower shrubbery or flowers.

Here in Central Florida, Breynia nivosa has recently enjoyed a great deal of popularity. Most plant retailers label the plant only as "Snow Bush" or "Snow-on-the-Mountain." It took some research on my part to discover its botanical name. The variety I have is 'Roseo-picta' or Jacob's Coat. Its leaves are mottled green, white, red and pink, with most of the color at the growing tips of the branches. Stems and branches are a pretty cranberry color. They need at least partial sun in order to develop the characteristic pink and red leaf colors. If planted in the shade, they revert back to a fairly unimpressive white-mottled green.

They can be rooted from cuttings, according to Landscape Plants for Subtropical Climates by Bijan Dehgan, (University of Florida Press, 1998), although I have not personally tried this yet. All sources indicate they prefer dry conditions, but our very wet summer has caused my 9 new plants to thrive. No indication that they are getting waterlogged. In fact, when they were first planted, they required the usual week or so of daily waterings on non-rain days or they would droop and look very unhappy.

In the three months they've been in the ground, my Breynia nivosa have increased in size by about a third. They're beautiful, sun-loving plants. I've seen mature specimens around town that are about 6 feet tall. They look great with green or red-veined white caladiums planted around them.