16 small plants

Usually, in a garden or space, we always look first at the largest plants there are. However, a good use of small plants can achieve incredible results, or help us bring those little empty corners to life.

Whether on the office desk or on the stones in the garden, small plants make no excuse to fill every corner of our home with life. If you want to discover some of the most striking, join us in this article in which we show you 16 small plants, their names, characteristics and photos .

Echeveria

The Echeveria elegans , also called pink alabaster , is a small succulent plant . It has its origin in Mexico and is currently in danger of extinction in a natural state. It owes its name to the way its leaves grow and its color, as they seem to form a stone flower. However, there are many species or types of echeveria plant, not just Echeveria elegans .

Mini elephant ear or Alocasia polly

The so-called mini elephant ear , is also known as Alocasia mini or Alocasia Polly is a type of Alocasia that does not exceed a height of 25 cm . It is a very small variety but just as striking as the common elephant ear, which maintains about five or six bright and dark green leaves.

Velvet Nettle or Gynura

The Gynura or ginura , often called purple passion plant or nettle or velvet , is a small creeping plant no more than 15 cm high. It stands out for the dense purple hair that covers its leaves, giving them that striking color. Its small yellow flowers are usually removed, since they do not have a pleasant smell.

Adiantum raddianum or maidenhair

The maidenhair fern or Adiantum raddianum is also called fern Delta Maidenhair or Venus hair . This plant is a type of fern that is also often called spring grass, since it usually grows alongside them. It is a plant that needs high humidity, in addition to being considered one of the small shade plants, since it does not tolerate direct sunlight well.

Grafted cactus or Gymnocalycium mihanovichii

Their scientific name is Gymnocalycium mihanovichii , but we all recognize them as those little colored cacti that many establishments display. It is actually a cactus graft , that is to say, a cactus with two parts, the base of a green stem and the Gymnocalycium graft of different colors, which needs the base because it is unable to carry out photosynthesis by itself. They are small indoor plants, several cm high counting their two parts, they are also very decorative and do not support direct sun.

Mouse tail or Peperomia caperata

The Peperomia caperata or mouse tail does not exceed 10 cm in height and is one of the most peculiar small plants with flowers . This plant creates a lot of contrast, as its leaves form a low rosette of bright green and the flowers are sharply vertical, rising in flowery spikes of striking white.

Soleirolia

Its scientific name is Soleirolia Soleirolii , although it is also known by Angel’s tears or bridal bed moss . Despite its nickname, it is not actually moss, but its color and bearing are very reminiscent of this. Soleirolia is often used as a floor covering in humid areas.

African violet

The Saintpaulia sp . or African violet is another of the small plants with more showy flowers, since its vivid purple bloom is hard to miss. The flowers of the African violet appear throughout the year and its rounded leaves are structured in a downy rosette, in the center of which its beautiful flowers are born.

Peperomia obtusifolia

The Peperomia obtusifolia is the family of mouse tail and has its origins in South America. It is a very popular plant because of how easy it is to grow, since its only important requirement is that it needs a lot of light , but always indirect. Its leaves, in different shades of green, shine with an appearance that makes it easy to confuse it with an artificial plant.

Pachifito or Pachyphytum compactum

Of Mexican origin, the Pachyphytum compactum or pachifito is another of the most original small plants to give away or to have at home. It is a small succulent or succulent plant with slow growth and less than 10 cm in height, with a compact rosette of small cylindrical leaves. It produces small flower stems, usually reddish or yellow, which just give it a unique and endearing appearance.

There are other pachifito plants, such as Pachyphytum oviferum , Pachyphytum glutinicaule, and Pachyphytum bracteosum , among many others.

Nertera

The granadensis Nertera is considered one of the small garden plants because despite its small size and delicate appearance, it is one that requires a lot of light and even direct bearing plant. In the warm months it produces small flowers that give rise to berries.

Ludisia

The Ludisia discolor is a small houseplant with fleshy stems and reddish, very decorative and quirky. Small dark green leaves and reddish veins grow from its stems, covered with hair. Its floral stem is also very striking.

Senecio blue or blue balsam

The scientific name is Senecio cephalophorus and it is a small indoor plant that

owes its common names, Senecio blue or balsam blue , to the blue-green tones of its fleshy leaves. It is a very resistant plant to drought and intense sun, which therefore requires little watering.

Venus flytrap or Dionaea muscipula

The Dionaea muscipula or Venus flytrap is probably the best known of the carnivorous plants . Its stems do not exceed 10 cm in height and its larger leaves form the traps with which it traps insects to feed. It is a plant that requires specific care, but striking and unique like few others.

Mammillaria

The Mammillaria are a whole genus of cactus native to Mexico with more than 350 species. For example, the Mamillaria microhelia , also called small sun biznaga , is one of the small indoor and outdoor plants most used for decoration.

It is a species of less than 15 cm in height, light green in color and with areolas of up to 50 spines, very decorative. It needs low humidity and direct sun.

Sempervivum

These succulents rarely exceed 4 cm in height , although it is a whole genus with about 30 species. Sempervivum plants are very short, with thick leaves that give the appearance of being fleshy flowers. In hot climates they are very suitable for outdoors and only need a substrate with very good drainage.