Houseplant ID, please

August 1, 2017 1:13 PM

http://imgur.com/a/8XZcX I want this. It's in the window of a gift shop. It gets very bright, unobscured east light, and seems to be thriving for at least a year now. Owner of the shop doesn't want to sell, and has no idea what the name of the plant is. Any ideas?
posted by jeff-o-matic to Science & Nature (10 answers total)

Looks like this, maybe?
posted by durandal at 1:23 PM on August 1, 2017

I think that looks like some manner of peperomia.
posted by adiabatic at 1:23 PM on August 1, 2017 [2 favorites]

Yeah, check this out. Almost positive it's the Peperomia obtusifolia .

If you're curious, my google search was:

indoor potted plant with waxy green rounded leaves
posted by durandal at 1:27 PM on August 1, 2017

Confirming Peperomia obtusifolia.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 1:40 PM on August 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

Peperomia. Easy to grow. They like bright indirect light, good drainage. Poke some holes in the soil with a chopstick to keep the roots aerated, too. DO NOT overwater. They are succulents and will rot if you leave them with wet feet.

If you do overwater and the lower leaves/stem get mushy (I just did this to mine), just chop off the top part- above the mushy stem- and it will easily root in a glass of water, giving you a second chance.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 1:43 PM on August 1, 2017 [3 favorites]

In my neighbourhood, Home Depot almost always sells small ones, and Ikea occasionally has large ones.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 1:52 PM on August 1, 2017

Was just coming in to say what pseudostrabusmus said: you can find them at Home Depot and Ikea, in both standard and variegated varieties. I just bought one at HD a few days ago, about 8 inches tall, for around $7.
posted by saladin at 2:16 PM on August 1, 2017

Response by poster: Well, thanks everyone. I haven't seen this plant for sale anywhere recently. I'll know what to ask for now. This particular plant had a lovely compact structure, which is what made it so attractive.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 4:48 PM on August 1, 2017

It looks like something you could root from a cutting, and pseudostrabismus's comment supports that. Maybe the shop owner would give you a cutting and you could grow your own?
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 6:17 PM on August 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

The growth habit in semisucculents like this (and in many/most other plants) are often due in part to the light levels. Ample bright, diffuse light means the plant doesn't have to send out runners in eleventy different directions to feed itself. If it starts getting leggy and bedraggled looking, it's not getting enough light.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 11:17 PM on August 1, 2017 [1 favorite]