Question
Thank you so much for your reply. The crystals and yellow balls are on the leaves and stems, and I don't see any spider webs or other bugs on them. It just seems strange that this just occured after I replanted it. I also have another question about the flowers. The first time it flowered it was fine but this summer the flowers smelled very strange, not very good either. Is this normal? Thanks again.
Laura






Followup To
Question -
I have a house plant that is a dark green color and a purple fuzz covers most of the stems and leaves. The newer leaves are the most purple and as the leaves get bigger they tend to lose the fuzz. I have know idea what it is. I have had the plant for well over a year and now it has small, white crystal looking things all over it, and some small yellow balls (very small). I just receintly replanted it into a bigger pot and found these thing all over it. Anything you can tell me would be great.
Answer -
Hi Laura
It sounds as if you have a "Purple Passion Plant" aka "Velvet Plant" or "Gynura aurantiaca".  I think this is one of the most beautiful plants around.
This type of plant requires a lot of light in order to keep the purple coloring.  As the leaves grow older, they will tend to lose their coloring and fuzz.  They will get a orangish color flower on the plant.
Where are the white crystals and yellow balls?  Are the yellow balls in the soil?  Those sound as if they may be a type of a time released fertilizer the growers put into the plant.  As far as the white crystals, this may be from the sap of the plant.  The sap contains oxalate crystals.  It may also be from the salts in the water getting onto the leaves and drying out.  
Just to be safe, check for spider mite (small spider webs in the leaf brackets) and aphids (small clusters under leaves, in brackets).  If you do find any pests, do not spray the plant...use a systemic.  You can buy this at your local nursery.  Put it in the soil when watering and it will work from the roots  up.  You should never mist or spray a plant that has the hair on the leaves, such as African Violet, and this Purple Passion.  

Laura, I hope this has been of some help to you.
Good Luck
Leslie


Answer
Hi Laura
I have researched your problem and if you do not have any scale, spider mites, or aphids, it has to be some type of a sap from the plant.  Maybe when you transplanted, it cracked a stem and this is when the sap began forming.  
As far as the flower goes, I meant to tell you about this; the flowers on these plants usually smell pretty bad!  

Laura, I am sorry about the length of time it took me to answer this; we got news the other day that my mom has lung cancer and my mind has just shut down.

Good luck with you plant and let me know if you have any further problems.

Leslie