What is this succulent plant?
February 2, 2012 2:34 PM Subscribe
Can someone help me identify this plant--seems to be a succulent of some type. I've taken a couple photos of it here:
photo 1
photo 2.
The spoon is there for scale.
This is a small plant that I found in a trash can about a year ago. It was nearly dead, but after taking care of it a while it grew out very nicely. Then (big mistake) I gave my plants to my mother to water while I was away for three months--and they all suffered. Now you see the plant in its current state, near death. I don't know if she over-watered it, or under-watered it, or what. I think she just does not have a green thumb.
At any rate, I think this plant's days are numbered. I've been tending to it for two months now, but it hasn't made a single new leaf.
I want to identify it because I want to get another one. Since it had a mysterious origin in my own life, I know nothing about it. Can anyone help me identify it? It seems to be a succulent--the leaves are small and fleshy, kind of like on a jade plant, but it is much smaller. It grows out in these kind of tendrils. In its healthier state, there were leaves all along each of the tendrils (you can now see the remains of the dead leaves). Is this some type of cactus?
Lastly, is there anything to do to bring it back to health?
This is a small plant that I found in a trash can about a year ago. It was nearly dead, but after taking care of it a while it grew out very nicely. Then (big mistake) I gave my plants to my mother to water while I was away for three months--and they all suffered. Now you see the plant in its current state, near death. I don't know if she over-watered it, or under-watered it, or what. I think she just does not have a green thumb.
At any rate, I think this plant's days are numbered. I've been tending to it for two months now, but it hasn't made a single new leaf.
I want to identify it because I want to get another one. Since it had a mysterious origin in my own life, I know nothing about it. Can anyone help me identify it? It seems to be a succulent--the leaves are small and fleshy, kind of like on a jade plant, but it is much smaller. It grows out in these kind of tendrils. In its healthier state, there were leaves all along each of the tendrils (you can now see the remains of the dead leaves). Is this some type of cactus?
Lastly, is there anything to do to bring it back to health?
Erg, sorry. On second look I don't think it's a stacked crassula but it definitely appears to be a succulent/cactus plant of some type, and the care guidelines above should still work. Give it time. I have had many succulents that were in the near-death stage and they took upwards of a year to start growing again.
One thing to consider: is it possible she changed the soil or treated it with some sort of nitrogen supplement that is not meant for cactus plants? I nearly killed a jade plant a few years ago by repotting it in regular soil instead of cactus soil.
posted by joan_holloway at 2:40 PM on February 2, 2012
One thing to consider: is it possible she changed the soil or treated it with some sort of nitrogen supplement that is not meant for cactus plants? I nearly killed a jade plant a few years ago by repotting it in regular soil instead of cactus soil.
posted by joan_holloway at 2:40 PM on February 2, 2012
Best answer: It looks very much like an outdoors Sedum to me. Whatever it is, a succulent needs a free draining environment. Put some gravel in the bottom of the white pot to allow excess water to drain out.
It should be relatively easy to propagate if it is. Cut off a stalk, remove the dead leaves and poke it into some free draining compost.
posted by Solomon at 2:52 PM on February 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
It should be relatively easy to propagate if it is. Cut off a stalk, remove the dead leaves and poke it into some free draining compost.
posted by Solomon at 2:52 PM on February 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Looks like it might be a sedum. What kind of drainage does the pot have? They're susceptible to overwatering.
posted by X4ster at 2:53 PM on February 2, 2012
posted by X4ster at 2:53 PM on February 2, 2012
Best answer: Another vote here for a sedum, possibly a variety of Sedum morganianum. If that were my plant, I'd do what Solomon suggests. If you cut off the green bits, I find they'll root better if left to dry out for a few days before sticking them in some damp soil.
posted by emyd at 3:04 PM on February 2, 2012
posted by emyd at 3:04 PM on February 2, 2012
It could also be a really weak and etiolated echeveria.
posted by vegartanipla at 3:47 PM on February 2, 2012
posted by vegartanipla at 3:47 PM on February 2, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks, I think it is probably a Sedum as suggested. After looking online I found an image of one called Sedum niveum that appears to be very much like what I have: Sedum niveum. I will try as suggested to cut off some of the green bits and replant them. What is the best kind of soil to use--I'm not sure what free draining compost is (is that something you can buy in any store)? Second: any ideas where one would have bought a plant like this? I've never seen this type of thing in stores around here (Boston, Mass.).
posted by cmp4Meta at 5:15 PM on February 2, 2012
posted by cmp4Meta at 5:15 PM on February 2, 2012
Use any kind of peat or preferably coir based compost with some extra sand added, about 2:1 compost:sand. Perhaps go to a garden centre of some kind and look for cactus compost.
Sedums are pretty common, so it might just be a bit that someone has picked up from a verge or somewhere and stuck in a pot. Their natural habitat is the tops of mountains, so they're pretty hardy.
If yo do get a new plant going, consider keeping it outdoors. they aren't designed to be in warm, dark conditions, like the inside of a house. This is compared to outside, obviously.
posted by Solomon at 3:34 PM on February 3, 2012
Sedums are pretty common, so it might just be a bit that someone has picked up from a verge or somewhere and stuck in a pot. Their natural habitat is the tops of mountains, so they're pretty hardy.
If yo do get a new plant going, consider keeping it outdoors. they aren't designed to be in warm, dark conditions, like the inside of a house. This is compared to outside, obviously.
posted by Solomon at 3:34 PM on February 3, 2012
Response by poster: Unfortunately, the suggestion of placing cuttings in the soil didn't work--they all died within a couple weeks. There is one small stalk still living on the original plant: any ideas how to bring it back to life or where to find a new one?
posted by cmp4Meta at 1:01 PM on March 4, 2012
posted by cmp4Meta at 1:01 PM on March 4, 2012
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posted by joan_holloway at 2:38 PM on February 2, 2012