One of my two variegated varieties has a thicker, slightly larger, almost leathery leaf and it can go for longer periods without water. If your neighbor has that one I'd want cuttings. Don't understand why she isn't parting with them? Maybe offer to trade something? The non-variegated has a very thin delicate leaf and it grows like mad. I have to trim it so much I can't keep all the cuttings but it absolutely must be watered daily in the summer. It's getting big and I need to start staying on top of it more to shorten the internodes more and I'll do that this summer.
If you find a good price on a larger plant I'd buy that as opposed to the smaller one. The small ones are obviously very delicate and harder to keep going. Look at the trunk and go by that. I notice people are selling what are actually saplings and not yet trees. Go for the tree if you find one. A large sapling in Fl goes for about $10.00. Am afraid they may be hard to find outside the south but you may find a reputable seller online, I'd buy from them. I don't know what Wigert's has but they're reputable. I bought my first serissa on Ebay and while they're still growing and I like the variety a lot, they were very overpriced.
