Help me identify this muted-purple plant

May 17, 2008 5:22 PM

Help me identify this live-forever lookalike (sort of)

I recently went to Duke Gardens (a local horticultural garden) and my girlfriend was really enamored by this particular plant. It was a small leaved, sort of round-lobed, purple-ish leaved, thingy. The purple was a muted purple, kind of like, dusty.

It had a small friend. It was similar in description, but its color was more of a blue.

The leaves were thick, and densely aligned along the stem. Think of sort of a bow for a gift. About that height, and about that shape.

If its any help, it was in the "english garden" section of the garden.

Thanks for any help you can give, I would really like to get my girlfriend one of these as a house plant. So, any information on the care of the plant you guess, would be helpful as well.

Also, I'd like an order of fries.

posted by aleahey to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

Best answer: The first thing that popped into my mind was an Artichoke. This one is at Duke Gardens, although in the photo it's in flower. The second is Hens and Chicks...a kind of succulent. Hens and Chicks often have little friends. Do either of those look like it?

Here are your fries.
posted by iconomy at 5:43 PM on May 17, 2008 [2 favorites]

First thought was eucalyptus, but the thick leaves rule that out. iconomy is on the right track with succulents, though I'm guessing something more like crassula. Some google image searching for crassula might help.
posted by dizzycow at 6:11 PM on May 17, 2008

Oops missed that "live forever" bit, by which I assume you mean sempervivum. You'll want to look at echeverias, graptopetalums and sedums.
posted by dizzycow at 6:23 PM on May 17, 2008

Could it be Bugleweed (Ajuga Reptans)? This is a typically English perennial and sounds like your description.
posted by Susurration at 9:30 PM on May 17, 2008

Maybe it's an aonium? Here's another link showing a purple color.
posted by belau at 7:42 AM on May 18, 2008