SUCCULENTS
Caladium Araceae Elephant Ears
Bicolor Varieties. Gorgeous arrow-leaved foliage plants for small gardens in the South or sheltered areas where summer temperatures are not likely to drop below 60 degrees for long. The patterns, colors, and contours of the leaves get fancier every year. Many are hybridized for larger and larger size, but specialists also offer a good selection of dwarfs that will stay under eight inches. Among them:
Caladium humboldti—one of the most striking members of the family
‘Candidum, Jr.’—Bushy low version of the standard favorite with green-netted, white leaves.
humboldti—A gemlike species for the connoisseur with willowy stems topped by diminutive deep-green leaves splotched with silvery transparent white between the center veins and the edge. Needs more humidity than the bicolor hybrids.
‘Little Rascal’—Leaf more lance-shaped, wine-red.
‘Miss Marveen’—Pearly-white tinged and blotched with pink over heavy drab green.
‘Mrs. Arno Nehrling’—Bronzy-green, red veins.
‘Pink Radiance’—Small and bushy, leaves centered and veined with shades of pink, pink-flecked on the edge.
‘Sea Gull’—White at the midvein and frosted all over.
‘Twilight’—Glowing flame-pink leaf finely netted with green.
CARE. Partial sun; if in a greenhouse shade against burn. Temperature: warm (75 degrees). Humid. Soil: rich, acid (azalea type). Keep moist. Fertilizer: feed liquid manure on alternate weeks.
PROPAGATION. Seeds.
SPECIAL USES. Terrariums, window boxes, specimens.
Calathea (Maranta) Marantaceae
There’s only one available true miniature in this group of richly colored and patterned tropical foliage plants, but many other species will stay small in a three-inch pot for years. The fact that they’re suitable for lush but restrained effects in far Southern gardens is my other excuse for including them.
These plants are maranta-like, the leaf tufts with markings a peacock could crow about, silky-velvet or iridescent sheens that outshine the gowns at a coronation ball. They are reluctant to flower but nobody cares. The following is only a sampling of the available riches:
argyraea—Low and compact, the blotched green leaves overlaid with silver and horizontally level.
insignis—Narrow, permanently waved leaves perfectly patterned with chartreuse, wine red underneath.
louisae—Leaves perpendicular and perky, feather-marked with yellow-green.
micans—Miniature with oval leaves about an inch long (four inches in the tropics), lustrous deep green banded with silver at the center, paler underneath.
picturata vandenheckei—Satiny dark green banded with silver white in center. Wine red on the underside. A new form, ‘Wendlinger,’ is even more startling. The centers are sterling silver, edged with deep green.
CARE. Provide warmth, humidity. Soil: loam, leaf mold, and sand. Feed heavily for best colors. Shade from direct sun.
PROPAGATION. Divide crowns; tubers and spring cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. Tropical gardens, pots, terrariums, dish gardens.
Callopsis volkensi Araceae
This is a perfectly proportioned miniature “calla lily” only four inches high, the white porcelain flowers centered with a gold, spear-like spadix, and substantial but small heart-shaped green leaves quaintly crinkled. It grows from an underground rhizome. It branches freely but compactly and is winter-blooming.
CARE. Shade, humidity, humusy soil kept evenly moist.
PROPAGATION. Rhizomes.
SPECIAL USES. Terrariums, dish gardens.
Carex elegantissima (Morrowi variegata) Cyperaceae
Lady-like little grass with airy tufts of slimmest leaves, bright green with a white stripe along each edge.
CARE. Loamy garden soil, filtered sun, wet. Intermediate temperature.
PROPAGATION. Seeds.
SPECIAL USES. Terrariums, dish gardens.
Carissa grandiflora nana compacta Apocynaceae Natal Plum
When is a dwarf not really a dwarf? In the two years or more I’ve had this plant it has grown so slowly I have no idea what ultimate height it has in mind, or when it will reach it. It is still about six inches tall, with round, green, overlapping leaves with the shiniest glassy polish of any leaves I have ever seen. Off and on during the year it gives sensual delight with richly fragrant china-white flowers, none of which, so far, have been replaced by scarlet plums. This form is blessedly without spines, always refreshing, and particularly appropriate for Oriental planters and miniature indoor gardens.
CARE. Almost any soil, warmth, light shade, moist, spray leaves. Resents repotting.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings, layers.
SPECIAL USES. Bonsai, planters.
Ceropegia Asclepiadaceae
Among the few hanging or climbing vines of suitable size and form for truly miniature baskets, or supports—succulent and easy to grow to boot! Their effect is always dainty, never bold; thin wiry stems may grow long, but never the leaves; waxy tube-like flowers inspire close inspection, but are never showy. Here are four of the daintiest species:
barkleyi—umbrella flower—A climber with pointed wing-shaped leaves feathered with a network of silver; purple-veined greenish flowers like parasols.
caffrorum—Pairs of green heart-leaves march down the threadlike stems; greenish flowers intricately marked with plum.
debilis—Green needle-like leaves penciled silver along the center; green-and-purple flowers.
woodi—rosary vine, string of hearts, hearts entangled—Matching pairs of thick silvery valentines every inch or so along the dangling stem, identically traced with a precisely patterned design. The little pink-lavender flowers are shaped like pixie pipes or urns.
CARE. Soil: loam, leaf mold, sandy and humusy. Intermediate temperature, filtered sun. Moist in summer, on the dry side in winter.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings in spring; tubers, seeds.
SPECIAL USES. Hanging baskets.
Chaenostoma fastigiatum Scrophulariaceae Little Stars
Cheerful little tropical herb which keeps its compact contour by branching freely, and covers its stems with myriads of half-inch fragrant leaves. All year it twinkles with a sprinkling of starry white flowers, outdoes itself in the summer months.
CARE. Loamy garden soil, bright light, moist.
PROPAGATION. Seeds, cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. Edgings.
Chamaedorea elegans bella Palmaceae
Slow-growing dwarf palm tree, so slow it can be a granddaddy in a six-inch pot and takes eons to top two feet. The reedy green stems cluster in a rosette and curve gracefully at the ends. Leaves are thin, fresh green, airily divided.
CARE. Warm, loamy garden soil, moist, shade.
PROPAGATION. Seeds.
SPECIAL USES. House plant, dish gardens.
Chamaeranthemum Acanthaceae
A choice, exclusive threesome of tender tropical creepers with small supine leaves embroidered with dainty patterns.
gaudichaudi—Forest-green, long oval leaves of sheer velvet, silver feathers down the center and out along the veins.
(Stenandrium) lindeni—A bolder, golden feather marks the larger, perhaps even sheerer, leaves.
venosum—Symmetrical, oval leaves more broad than slender, dark powder-blue with thin leaves of silver on the network of veins.
CARE. Warm, humid, loamy garden soil, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. Terrariums, dish gardens.
Chlorophytum bicheti Liliaceae
Spidery little pot plant with tapering, grassy-looking leaves about six inches long, arching somewhat stiffly, with cream-white tidy stripes along the edge and sometimes down the middle. Always looks prim and precise.
CARE. Intermediate temperature, needs fresh air, loamy soil, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Division.
SPECIAL USES. Indoor gardens, artificial light.
Cissus striata Vitaceae Miniature Grape Ivy
This lacy little climber looks less like grape ivy, more like woodbine, but it certainly does look and act like a miniature. The reddish stems turn and twist at angles, trying to touch the tiny tendrils to a support they can curl around. The one-and-a-half-inch leaves are like five fat separate fingers delicately joined in the center, scalloped or toothed near the rounded tip, burnished green and lined with wine beneath.
Cissus striata—a genuine miniature climber not unlike woodbine
CARE. Intermediate temperature, humid, loamy garden soil, filtered sun, moisture in the pots.
PROPAGATION. Roots and cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. House plant, miniature gardens, artificial light.
Citrus Rutaceae
These are true miniature citrus trees, varieties that are naturally dwarf, or grow so slowly they’ll flower and fruit in smallish pots indoors.
aurantifolia—lime—Spiny little tree with small leaves, small tartly acid, thin-skinned, green fruit. The Persian lime is a variety called “one of the most beautiful of all citrus trees.”
limonia ‘ponderosa’—ponderosa lemon—Oblong, glassy, evergreen leaves; stiff sharp spines; large waxy, fragrant flowers; heavy (to two and a half pounds) pear-shaped (to five inches long) lemons at intervals through the year, beginning when the tree may not be much more than a foot tall. Supposedly, one lemon “gives enough juice to make a pie.”
mitis—calamondin—Bushy little tree, not prickly, dense with glassy green leaves; flowers fragrant, small and white. May bear fruit all year but usually in winter it produces bright oranges, about one and a half inches in diameter, thin-skinned and somewhat flattened on the end. The lime-like flavor of the juice is reportedly pleasant, but my tree looked so pretty I didn’t pick the fruit. A calamondin can, and often will, fruit in a two-and-a-half-inch pot—a mighty midget.
nobilis deliciosa—tangerine, mandarin orange—Small, nearly thornless tree with willowy leaves; sweet fruit, with loose skin that peels off like a kid glove and segments that separate freely.
taitensis—otaheite orange—Neat little bush for pots, with plenty of two-inch, wavy-edged leaves, few if any spines, and fragrant pink-tinged flowers in January. By Christmas, even if the tree is only eight inches high, the oranges are ripe. They are the size of a plum, shaped like a lemon, tartly flavored like a lime.
CARE. Intermediate temperature, needs fresh air, loamy soil, bright sun, keep on the dry side. For fruit, pollinate. Humidity, not too much fertilizer, not too much water. Sudden temperature changes causes leaves to drop.
PROPAGATION. Seeds, grafting, cuttings (for pot varieties).
SPECIAL USES. Seedlings for miniature gardens and greenhouses.
Columnea microphylla Gesneriaceae
Velvety trailer, suitable for small hanging baskets, with soft little mouse-ear leaves. But wow! the fiery-red flowers never heard of the word miniature. Their long slender tubes stand straight up from the dangling stems, flare out to a wide mouth through which you can look to see the yellow throat inside.
CARE. Warm, humid, humusy soil, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Seeds, stem and leaf cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. Hanging baskets.
Cryptanthus Bromeliaceae Earth Stars
Not many bromeliads can rightly be called miniatures, and grow either in air or in soil to boot. These are low flat rosettes of stiff painted leaves, often with prickles on the edge and always unusually colored. From the heart, wee white flowers peep out, usually in summer. Some suppliers offer a grab-bag selection of hybrids, “no two alike.” Or you can buy these smaller species if you wish.
acaulis—Thin gray fuzz over rather mottled green leaves.
bahianus—These leaves are slimmer, curving at the tip and wavy on the edge, flushed or margined brick red, more upright than flat.
beuckeri—Asymmetrical arrangement of ladle-like leaves tapered to a sharp point, dark green marbled over light.
bivittatus minor (roseus pictus)—Faintly banded dark-green leaves completely flushed bronzy pink or salmon.
bromelioides tricolor—Slim, pointed leaves with bands of rich cream and green, shaded cherry pink along the edge and in the heart.
lacerdae—‘Silver Star’—Definitely star-shaped and definitely silvery; the only green is in the two stripes down each side of the center.
CARE. Warm, humus, filtered sun, dry side, good drainage.
PROPAGATION. Offsets or cuttings. Peel off one or two basal leaves from stem; pot and root for two to three weeks.
SPECIAL USES. House plant.
Cryptbergia meadi Bromeliaceae
Everything said about the cryptanthus applies here. This is the result of crossing a billbergia with a cryptanthus. The leaves are slim spear-shaped and sharply pointed, upright in the center and arching out around the side. The basic green is rather drab. Made more appealing by a bronzy sheen and faint dark mottlings.
Cyanotis Commelinaceae
Succulent creeping or trailing cousins of the inch plants, with similar botanical characteristics, but each an individual in its own right:
kewensis—teddy-bear plant—Brown-woolly all over the stem and the tiny pointed-ear leaves.
somaliensis—pussy ears—The fresh green leaves are bent into boat shape, clasping tight to the stem and covered with velvety white fuzz.
veldhoutiana (Tradescantia villosa) (Tradescantia pexata) (Tradescantia sillamontana), and known in the trade as tradescantia ‘White Velvet’ and also ‘White Gossamer’—This tiny plant, more trailing than creeping, has lettuce-green leaves, and stems clothed in long silky silvery-white hairs. It has so many names I fear it would be lost to view if all of its labels were placed around it. I quote all of them in order to avoid confusion and controversy. But according to the Institute de Biologia in Mexico, the correct name is Tradescantia sillamontana.
CARE. Intermediate temperature, needs fresh air, loamy soil, bright light, dry side.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. Miniature tropical gardens, greenhouses.
Dionaea muscipula Droseraceae Venus Fly Trap
Never let anyone tell you this little bug-eater will “trap flies on your window sill.” Don’t poke at it to see it close its trap. Avoid disturbing it; let it feed itself naturally. And now that the negatives are covered, do try this braggart elf (give it conditions in which it can grow), for the pleasure in its intricately devised mechanism, one of nature’s wonders. Basically, there’s a five-inch-wide rosette of wide flat stems, a two-part leaf at the end of each making a flat burnished bronze oval with a fringe of thick whiskers. When an insect steps onto this dance floor, the hinges in the center fold the two halves together fast, and that is the end of the bug. White flowers top the tallish stems in spring.
CARE. Cool, humid, sun, soil rich in humus with sphagnum, wet. Dormant in February and March before flowering. Most vigorous growth in spring and summer.
PROPAGATION. By roots or seeds. If seeds are used, start them under a bell jar.
SPECIAL USES. Terrariums.
Dracaena godseffiana Liliaceae
Small tropical foliage shrub, slow-growing and bushy, with glassy, leathery leaves haphazardly splotched with white. The named variety ‘Florida Beauty’ is even more dwarf, takes years to fit a four-inch pot, and boasts golden-yellow splotches.
CARE. Warm, loamy garden soil, filtered sun (more light for color), moist to wet.
PROPAGATION. Pieces of stem with several joints; tip cuttings; air layering.
SPECIAL USES. Miniature gardens.
Drosera rotundifolia Droseraceae Sundew
The whole plant can often hide under a half-dollar—the smallest of all the insect-eaters. Flat stems radiate out from a central crown, expand at the ends, become flat spoon-shaped blades covered with reddish hairs that are tipped with drops of glue. Any insect landing on the surface gets his feet stuck while longer hairs on the edge act like tentacles to entangle him even more. Spring flowers top stems that grow straight up in the center.
CARE. Cool, humid, humusy soil made acid with peat moss if necessary, moist but not soggy, good drainage, room temperature is adequate with some direct sunlight but not enough to raise temperature in terrarium to a dangerous level. Transplanting or shipping may retard growth several weeks; don’t get soil on leaves. May go dormant after flowering. Do not try to grow in ordinary room without glass cover or a plastic bag. Small amount of plant food (such as Vigoro). Rain water preferred.
PROPAGATION. As in Dionaea muscipula.
SPECIAL USES. Terrariums.
Dyckia Bromeliaceae
Small, stiff fountains or sprays of spiny-edged leaves, spikes of orange or yellow flowers like a miniature version of the pineapple in various sizes and shapes. Some are not very dwarf. The dwarfs, to the best of my knowledge, are:
altissima—Light-green, tapering leaves armed with brown spines and yellow flowers.
fosteriana—Dense circle of sugary gray leaves with purplish sheen.
rariflora—Slim, sharp-pointed six-inch leaves with minute silver scales, spines soft and black.
CARE. Intermediate temperature, humusy soil, filtered sun, dry side.
PROPAGATION. Easiest from offshoots when suckers are large enough to handle. Root in sphagnum peat. Seeds, germinate on tissue napkins in a shallow tray covered with glass. Keep in light at 65 to 70 degrees.
SPECIAL USES. House plant.
Episcia dianthiflora Gesneriaceae
Although none of the episcias grow very high, they do spread out to make wide, handsome pot or hanging-basket plants. This is the only species that can reasonably be called dwarf. Its leaves are the size and shape of my little fingernail, olive green and softly velvet, reddish along the center vein, first forming a tidy rosette. Soon the branches start stretching, rather stiff and woody for an episcia, with new leaf rosettes forming as the branches grow. The silky tube-flowers are pure white and fringed on the edges.
CARE. Warm, humid, humusy soil, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Seeds and cuttings.
Exacum affine Gentianaceae
This is a compact, free-flowering plant of the gentian family. The flowers are blue with golden stamens and very fragrant. A herbaceous biennial, it can be treated in a greenhouse as a perennial. It has bushy green leaves, ovate and tiny. A dark-lavender form is the variety atrocaeruleum.
CARE. Warm, humid, humusy soil, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Seeds. Can be planted any month, but a February planting will produce flowering plants for autumn and winter.
SPECIAL USES. Window gardens and greenhouses.
Ficus Moraceae Creeping Fig
Here are two delightful foliage creepers that keep their miniature proportions, although the large-leaved form of the first often covers large walls in the South.
pumila minima—Tiny valentine leaves patterned and crinkled with a network of sunken veins, deep green and refreshing.
radicans variegata—Much larger, slim pointed leaves basically silvery green, but marked with creamy white, starting at the edge and blending off irregularly. Like many variegated plants, it’s not very vigorous and thus is suitable for terrariums, where it will get the humidity it needs.
CARE. Warm, needs fresh air, loamy soil, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Division of the rooting stems.
SPECIAL USES. Terrariums, hanging baskets, outdoors in the South.
Fittonia verschaffelti Acanthaceae Nerve or Mosaic Plant
Flat-creeping tropical plants with jewel-like foliage netted with veins of contrasting color. The oval or rounded paper-thin leaves may be large—up to two inches long—but the plants grow slowly and seldom exceed dwarf proportions, particularly if there are any slugs within miles. Fittonias are one of the critters’ favorite foods.
You have a choice of three color schemes: The species is dark green with carmine veins; its variety argyroneura is emerald with silver; the variety pearcei, light green with pink.
CARE. Warm, humid, loamy soil, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Stem cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. Foliage plants in greenhouses.
Fortunella Rutaceae Kumquat
Smallest, and hardiest, of the evergreen citrus trees or shrubs, with typical glassy, leathery leaves and flowers at intervals during the year, sometimes coincidental with the thin-skinned fruit. The species vary in size, habit, and fruit, some taking a lifetime to reach ten feet. But before they achieve that altitude, they can long pass as dwarfs or miniatures. Who wants to wait a lifetime to watch a kumquat outgrow a three-inch pot?
hindsi—Small spiny tree with small (less than one inch) pea-shaped fruit.
japonica—marumi kumquat—Small tree, well branched and shapely, with perfectly round, somewhat sweet fruit nearly one and a half inches in diameter.
margarita—nagami kumquat—Most frost-resistant and dwarf. Nearly thornless, with sour-sweet, egg-shaped fruit.
CARE. Intermediate temperature (any sudden changes in temperature may cause the leaves to drop), soil on the dry side (not too much fertilizer), bright sun, pollinate if you wish fruit, maintain humidity.
PROPAGATION. Seeds, grafting, cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. Potted plants, seedlings for miniature gardens.
Fuchsia magellanica Onagraceae
This “hardy” fuchsia, when given a chance to develop, can hardly be called a miniature. It can cover a wall twenty feet high, I have been told. However, in a climate like that near Philadelphia, it is only “root-hardy” and even then has to have a protective winter mulch. In the spring it has to start new growth all over again. Then it assumes miniature proportions. I’ve seen it in a small hanging basket, the leaves less than one-third the size of the typical hybrid fuchsias, the stems thin and wiry, the red-and-purple flowers quite small. Even more like a miniature is the slower-growing variety variegata, with creamy blotches and streaks on the leaf edges. Then there is the slender, more airy and lax variety, gracilis, also available in variegated form.
CARE. Cool, needs fresh air, loamy soil, shade, moist.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings of soft green wood.
SPECIAL USES. House plants, hanging baskets.
Hebe buxifola variegata Scrophulariaceae
This is a charming little plant I have grown in my greenhouse. Although it has some larger relatives, my specimens have been delightfully small. The leaves are about one-half inch long, waxy green with creamy white edges which overlap into a nice pattern. I love the small white flowers which appear frequently.
CARE. Little sun, humusy soil, moderate warmth, moist.
PROPAGATION. Stem cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. House plants.
Hedera helix Araliaceas English Ivy
As long as I’ve grown house plants I’ve always had ivies, sometimes only a few pots of my favorite varieties (when my growing space was limited) but more often a collection of a dozen or more. Once when preparing a magazine article, I had thirty-seven scrambling around the greenhouse! The foliage always is fresh green and glossy, delightful the year round; the climbing or trailing stems are graceful and willing to be trained in just about any pattern. In the tiny-leaved miniatures there is a particular fascination in the intricate formations of lobes and points, edges which are waved or crinkled, and the markings, which may be dainty, pert, or bold.
(MEAGHERI GREEN FEATHER)
Hedera helix meagheri—a fine small specimen
These variations (actually mutations) of the ubiquitous evergreen ground or wall cover, are less hardy than the species from which they have sprung. Their outdoor use is best limited to moderate or mild climates—but never where it is hot and dry. Some slow creeping types like the variety conglomerata are delightful in not-too-hot rock gardens. Indoors, of course, you can have any or all of them, and you have many to choose from. Here is a representative selection to tempt you:
‘Goldheart’—Deepest green leaves centered with a heart of gold.
‘Itsy Bitsy’—Lacy leaves half the size of a fingernail.
‘Ivalace’—Fresh green with a crocheted edge.
‘Jubilee’—Gray-green spattered with white.
‘Needlepoint’—So sharply cut there’s nearly no leaf at all.
‘Shell’—Waved and crinkled on the veins.
‘Tear Drop’—A baby’s tear at that.
‘Telecurl’—Tight as a brand-new “permanent.”
CARE. Cool, needs fresh air, loamy soil, shade or semishade, moist.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings, layering, seed. (Seeds may take as long as two years to germinate.)
SPECIAL USES. House plants, ground cover, rock gardens, miniature gardens.
Helxine soleiroli Urticaceae Baby’s Tears
Millions of tiny, button-like leaves hug close to the thready stems of this wee creeper that covers soil, or a pot, in incredible haste. The growth twines and intertwines thickly as if it were weaving a fresh green carpet for a doll’s house.
CARE. Intermediate temperature, needs fresh air, humidity, humusy soil, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings of rooting stems.
SPECIAL USES. Ground cover, rocks and walls. (Outdoors only in mild climates.)
Hoya bella Asclepiadaceae Wax Plant
Definitely a dwarf, as wax plants grow, and not climbing, as most others are, little H. bella has arching, rather than woody, stems with thick, heavy somber green leaves on either side and clusters of incredible flowers at the tips, porcelain-white, waxy, and fragrant, with a wheel-shaped purple “crown” in the center. Best in a basket because the flowers droop, and the view is prettiest from below.
CARE. Warm, needs fresh air, loamy soil, bright light, dry side.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings in spring.
SPECIAL USES. Good house plant.
Impatiens repens Balsaminaceae
This precious creeper bears so little superficial resemblance to the popular “patient Lucy” it’s hard to believe it’s a close kin. I loved it when I first saw it at the Montreal Botanical Gardens, and was delighted when it became available to us here. It is a creeper with red stems, plump button-shaped leaves, and yellow flowers.
CARE. Intermediate temperature, needs fresh air, humusy soil, bright light, moist.
PROPAGATION. Seeds, cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. Good house plant, miniature gardens.
Koellikeria erinoides Gesneriaceae
This one is a gem—clusters of pert green-velvet leaves with indented veins and sprinkled with silvery star dust; on short stems, tiny two-lipped bell flowers of creamy white and red, in summer.
CARE. Warm, humid, humusy soil, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Seeds.
SPECIAL USES. House plant.
Lantana camara Verbenaceae
Here is a plant I have long enjoyed around the greenhouse. It is a small hairy shrub with angled branches and rough bristly leaves and is sometimes prickly.
Helxine soleiroli, baby’s tears—a delightful little crawler
Its blooming habits have always delighted me, and it is a prolific bloomer come summer. The verbena-like flowers open pink or yellow and later darken to red or orange. Often several different shades will be found on the same plant at the same time.
CARE. Moderate greenhouse temperatures, or out of doors in the summer. Needs fresh air, loamy garden soil, bright light, and does best on the dry side.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings and seed.
SPECIAL USES. House plant, pots, and containers.
Malpighia coccigera Malpighiaceae Miniature Holly
Small glossy leaves sharply toothed like holly, and adorable as a foliage plant, but in addition provides the sweetest white-pink blooms which in its native West Indies produce red, edible fruit rich in vitamin C.
CARE. Partial sun, warmth, humusy soil, moist.
PROPAGATION. Stem cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. House plant, indoor bonsai.
Manettia bicolor Rubiaceae Firecracker Vine
Small, sharp-pointed leaves, tube-flowers only a half-inch long, fine thready twining stems—everything about this tropical vine is miniature except the height to which it will climb in the greenhouse, or outdoors in the South. Although its inclination is to climb, it is sold most often as a plant for hanging baskets. Perhaps the lack of a support helps keep it small. The leaves cluster thickly around the intertwining stems, making a massed background for the impertinent flowers, yellow at the tips, fire-engine red at the base.
CARE. Cool greenhouse, needs fresh air, humid, loamy soil, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings over heat, of young growth. Seeds.
SPECIAL USES. Trellis and rafter vines for the greenhouse, hanging baskets.
Maranta Marantaceae
Exotic tropical foliage plants, laying their large oval leaves almost flat on the soil, only technically different from the calatheas, and sometimes offered under that name.
(Calathea) bicolor—Really should be “tricolor,” I think. The silky, six-inch leaves are silvery in the center, feathering out to points at intervals, and fading into a dark-green zone which gives way to the basic blue-gray or gray-green that extends to the edge.
leuconeura kerchoveana—rabbit tracks, prayer plant—There’s a similar grayish feather in the center of the leaf, a lighter silver green to the margin; but in between, mahogany blotches where a “hippity-hopper” might have planted his paws. The leaves fold up in prayer at night.
leuconeura massangeana—A picture is a more vivid description than any word I can call on. The center is silver, the thin curvy lines silvery pink. The basic color is mahogany near the middle, blending into blue-green. The leaves are tissue-thin with a silky sheen and lined with plum beneath.
Leuconeura massangeana—a most beautiful foliage plant with a silver center and basic mahogany blending into blue-green
CARE. Warmth, minimum night temperature of 60 degrees; humid, and use mist spray; rich soil; use liquid manure (except in winter). Filtered sun (plant will scorch in too direct sunshine), moist. Partial rest in winter, dry out between waterings. Repot in spring, with the crown high in the center; use charcoal in pot.
PROPAGATION. Divide crown.
SPECIAL USES. Foliage plant, artificial light. This plant is prettiest when young. Markings may disappear in older plants.
Myrsine africana Myrsinaceae African Boxwood
This is a shrubby, dark-green-leaved plant of the boxwood sort. It is small, neat, and trim and may be shaped into many patterns to resemble the true boxwood.
CARE. Partial sun, moderate temperature, humusy soil, moist.
PROPAGATION. Stem cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. Formal miniature gardens, dish gardens, indoor bonsai.
Myrtus communis Myrtaceae Greek Myrtle
This is a fragrant close-leaved evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean region but raised in most of Europe and this country as a potted plant. It grows out-of-doors in the South. Fragrant white flowers and purple-black berries. In size, Greek Myrtle ranges from dwarfs to ten and fifteen feet in height.
communis microphylla—dwarf myrtle—This compact form, with brown twigs and needle-like dark-green leaves, is a favorite for bridal bouquets, corsages, and decorations. It has a lovely white flower of pleasing fragrance. This sentimental association with the marriage ceremony makes it a favorite house plant.
CARE. Partial sun, cool to moderate temperatures, average soil, keep moist.
PROPAGATION. Stem cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. House plant, indoor bonsai.
Oxalis Oxalidaceae
Although most of the familiar varieties with clover-type leaves and fine-petaled buttercup-like flowers stay within our allotted limits for height, they are not miniatures as far as spreading width is concerned. But here are two small indispensables for terrariums and dish gardens.
hedysaroides rubra—firefern—Correctly, a tropical shrublet, but slow-growing and willing to be kept down by pinching. The silky thin leaves are deep wine colored and shrink from your touch. The little flowers, like golden twinkling stars, are frequent and fairly plentiful.
herrerae (henrei)—Curious, densely branching succulent for small hanging containers. The sturdy stems are gray-green and swollen, tipped with three thick leaflets. Small yellow flowers in clusters on long stems.
martiana aureo-reticulata—Shamrock leaves of emerald green thickly traced with interlacing veins of gold, easy flowers in loose clusters.
CARE. Cool, loamy garden soil, needs fresh air, bright light, dry side. (O. hedysariodes rubra requires more warmth and semishade.)
PROPAGATION. Bulbs, division of roots, seeds.
SPECIAL USES. House plants, hanging containers.
Oxalis hedysaroides rubra
Parochetus communis Leguminosae Shamrock Pea, Blue Oxalis
It’s neither a shamrock nor an oxalis, although it has three-part leaves resembling both and is marked with a mahogany quarter-moon in the center. But, the blooms are pea-like, all right, with ocean blue blending into pink on the two side petals. It’s a tender tropical trailer never more than three inches tall with creeping stems rooting over the soil.
CARE. Sun, intermediate temperature, average soil.
PROPAGATION. Seeds in March and April. Division in March.
SPECIAL USES. Rock gardens in mild climate, baskets, miniature gardens, edging.
Pelargonium hortorum Geraniaceae Geranium
How minute is a miniature? How small is a dwarf? Here is one case where I really don’t care. However you classify them, these small-scale geraniums are bewitching. And actually, their stature depends largely on how you grow them.
Their leaves may be as small as your thumbnail, but they are shaped, edged, veined, zoned, and often variegated like their larger relatives. In most varieties the size of the flowers has been cut down proportionately, but sometimes a cluster is as large as the entire plant. With age the stems may become gnarled and twisted, almost bonsai-like.
As a sort of yardstick, if you are very much concerned about height, miniatures are from two to three inches. Anything above that is a semidwarf, usually up to six or seven inches. There are many varieties within these limits, and by the time you read this there will most likely be dozens more. For the moment, here are some varieties you can start on your window sill; they will stay small and meanwhile bloom their heads off.
‘Black Vesuvius’—Single, orange-scarlet.
‘Dopey’—Large rose-red with white center. Free-blooming. Semidwarf.
‘Elf’—Dark leaves, zoned red and black, yellow on edge, single.
‘Epsilon’—Large flowers light pink with dark-pink phlox eye, semidwarf.
‘Fairyland’—Dull-green leaves with cream on the edge, single, touched with rose-red.
‘Fairy Tales’—Flouncy white with lilac at the center.
‘Fleurette’—Strong robust free-blooming dark salmon. Semidwarf.
‘Goblin’—Outstanding blooms bright red. Free-blooming, dark zoned.
‘Imp’—Very miniature salmon-pink. Dark foliage.
‘Kleiner Liebling’ (‘Little Darling’)—Variegated, single, pink.
‘Minx’—Purple-crimson blend, pretty blackish ruffled leaves.
‘Mischief’—Orange-red curled and twisted poinsettia-type petals.
‘Perky’—Single, red with bright white center.
‘Polaris’—Free-blooming white with pink edge. Single.
‘Pride’—Very large full rounded salmon. Robust semidwarf.
‘Prince Valiant’—Purple-crimson with orange flush. Semidwarf.
‘Robin Hood’—Semidwarf, strong growing, dark red. Good for outdoor planting. Double.
‘Rosy Dawn’—A different shade of salmon-orange-red. Dark foliage.
‘Ruffles’—Semidouble, small, ruffled, light salmon. Very miniature.
‘Salmon Comet’—Somewhat shaggy, single, salmon.
‘Saturn’—Bright scarlet, good bloomer, dark foliage.
Three dwarf geraniums: ‘Salmon Comet,’ ‘Pride,’ and ‘Pygmy’
Dwarf geranium, ‘Robin Hood’
‘Small Fortune’—Double, pure white, blushing pink in center.
‘Sneezy’—Large bright scarlet with white center. Semidwarf.
‘Snow-White’—A pure-white single that blooms and blooms.
‘Sparkle’—Free-blooming bright rose-red. Semidwarf, dark foliage.
‘Sprite’—Small silvery-and-white leaves sometimes pink-tinged, single, salmon.
‘Tiny Tim’—Pink or red, tiny blooms. Miniature foliage.
‘Twinkle’—Bright rose-pink, double. Dark foliage, semidwarf.
‘Variegated Kleiner Liebling’—Small green-and-white leaves. Small single pink blooms.
CARE. Sun (in winter artificial light), fresh air (air-conditioning if possible), cool greenhouse or cool part of dwelling-house, garden soil (lime if soil is extra acid), on the dry side.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings, seeds.
SPECIAL USES. Excellent house plant, artificial-light gardens.
Pellaea rotundifolia Polypodiaceae Button Fern
Take a piece of wiry brown yarn and string it with shiny, dark-green, leathery polka dots on either side and you’ll have a model of a frond of this tropical fern. The fuzzy stems arch gently but stay close to the soil as the small rhizomes slowly creep around. It’s all very un-fernlike but exceedingly sweet.
CARE. Intermediate temperature, humid, loamy soil, shade, moist.
Pellionia Urticaceae
Two delicate tropical creepers with attractively colored and patterned leaves lined up and lying flat along the thickish stems. No one cares whether they produce their drab clusters of small greenish flowers or not.
pulchra—Precise oval leaves are dusty blue-gray, with broad lines of black over the network of nerves, violet underneath. Juicy stems look lavender-pink.
repens (daveauana)—Young leaves nearly egg-shaped, metallic copper-green, nearly chartreuse on both sides of the center nerve. Leaves of the mature plants become slimmer and pointed on the end, with more green in the center zone and less copper along the edge.
CARE. Filtered sun, warm and humid, loamy soil, moist.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings, division of rooted stems.
SPECIAL USES. Terrariums, artificial light, hanging baskets.
Twenty-three varieties of Pelargonium hortorum, miniature and dwarf: 1. Fleurette 2. Snow White 3. Dopey 4. Mischief 5. Robin Hood 6. Minx 7. Epsilon 8. Prince Valiant 9. Polaris 10. Saturn 11. Sparkle 12. Kleiner Liebling 13. Small Fortune 14. Goblin 15. Variegated Kleiner Liebling 16. Fairy Tales 17. Rosy Dawn 18. Pride 19. Sneezy 20. Twinkle 21. Ruffled 22. Imp 23. Salmon Comet
Peperomia Piperaceae
Since almost all of these succulents, with their “catkin-like” flower spikes, fit within our miniature measurements, I’ve enjoyed picking a few to serve as a sample of their modest but much varied appeal. I like them, and hope you will also.
‘Astrid’—Layer upon layer of glossy green, pointed oval leaves creased down the center by the main vein, making a dense, symmetrical cone-shaped mound. In fact, there are so many tight branches that the leaves can’t always find room to fill out to full size. Then ‘Astrid’ turns into a version called ‘Pixie.’ To reverse the cycle, root a single stem of ‘Pixie’ and see how it returns to being ‘Astrid’ again.
‘Caperata’ (‘Little Fantasy’)—One perfect little heart leaf, its end pointing down, perched at the top of a sturdy stem. The entire leaf is so deeply wrinkled and crinkled that the basic Kelly-green looks almost black in the indentations, and silvery on the edges. Its big brother, ‘Emerald Ripple,’ is half again as large but otherwise identical.
‘Mamorata’ (‘Silver Heart’)—These heart-leaves taper to a sharper point and are rippled in a much more modest way. There is so much silver on the surface they look plated.
metallica—Upright and branching with slim-oval leaves pointed at both ends and colored chocolate with a coffee luster. There is a wide green stripe straight down the middle.
ornata—Handsome and stately despite its small stature. The cupped, pointed-oval leaves are somber green on top and enlivened with lines of light green along the curved veins. Underneath, the veins become raised ribs and are wine red.
prostrata—Personally, I have my suspicions about this sprightly creeper. When it is young, discontented, or ailing, its fat little button-leaves along the thready stems are a plain light green. It looks so much like the species rotundiflora (nummularifolia) that you can’t tell the two apart. But when prostrata is happy and romping around in its favorite environment, the leaves turn blue-green and wear an ornate embroidery of silver over the veins. Botanically, I’m probably wrong. See what happens when you grow it.
rubella—Rosettes of tiny oval moss-green leaves stand out at intervals up and down the straight stems and all the branches. The undersurface is gaudy red, and so are the stems. Pinch often to keep it bushy.
CARE. Warm, loamy garden soil, filtered sun, dry side. Water with care. Drainage to prevent rot.
PROPAGATION. Leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, division of the plant or rooting stem (roots at joints), seeds.
SPECIAL USES. Excellent house plant, dish gardens.
Pilea Urticaceae
With one exception, this is a genus of creepers, crisp, fleshy—spreaders, and bushlets for dozens of decorative uses indoors (and outdoors in tropical climates). Their common characteristics are much-branched stems bearing a full measure of variously colored, patterned, and shaped foliage, and very greenish flowers in flat clusters at the branch tips.
cadieri minima—Dwarf form of the popular aluminium plant, or watermelon pilea, eagerly branching into a plump bush. The quilted deep-green leaves are splotched with aluminium-silver. And the splotches are faintly reminiscent of watermelon markings.
depressa—Crowded stems spill over the pot, bearing round sea-green leaves neatly toothed on the edge. Stems root where they touch the soil.
Pilea depressa—a creeping, dish-garden favorite
involucrata—panamiga—Fuzzy pointed oval leaves deeply quilted by a tight network of veins, piled pair on pair along branching stems. Foliage colors darkest green in shade, tinges of bronze in bright light. Flowers pinkish, nestled close to the last pair of leaves.
microphylla (serpyllifolia)—artillery plant—Tiny, pointed fresh-green leaves on spreading, somewhat upright branches. The male flowers explode their clouds of pollen when dry.
nummulariaefolia—creeping Charlie—Stem-rooting creeper with crinkled round, or broad heart-shaped, leaves, pale green and fuzzy.
pubescens (‘Silver Panamiga’)—Oval leaves overlaid with silvery blue, grayish beneath, the veins indented sharply.
repens—blackleaf panamiga—Prostrate and creeping, the branches spreading and bearing nearly round, thin, bronzy leaves lined with violet beneath. This one holds its beady flowers atop tall stems.
seripillacea—Habit like a perfectly proportioned shrub but in most miniature proportions. Small round leaves and plentiful branches, light green and succulent. Flower clusters held out from the foliage by stems.
‘Silver Tree’—Copyrighted name for a species with brown-green leaves marked with a broad silver zone on each side of the center vein, corrugated by indented veins.
CARE. Easy, warm, humid, loamy soil with humus, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings, use sharp sand, 65 degrees.
SPECIAL USES. Dish gardens, terrariums.
Polyscias (Aralia) fruticosa Araliaceae
Tropical shrub or tree (eight feet or less) better known in Northern greenhouses for its intricately cut, lacy foliage, and growing so slowly it is nearly permanent (and unquestionably picturesque) in a planter or dish garden. The elegant horticultural variety ‘Elegans’ has leaves cut as fine as a feathery plume. I covet the newly named variety ‘Parsley’ because it is ruffled, to boot, and because its habit is so restrained, and its form so compact and plump.
CARE. Warm, needs fresh air, loamy soil, bright light, moist.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings of firm wood, eye-cuttings (over bottom heat).
SPECIAL USES. Dish gardens.
Polystichum tsus-simense Polypodiaceae
Definitely a dwarf fern, keeping its size moderate in a three-inch pot but not always a subject for terrariums unless they are a larger-than-usual size. It has a tidy habit, always looks clean and refreshing. The small fronds are substantial and taper to a needle-sharp point.
CARE. No sun, cool, humid, loamy soil, moist.
PROPAGATION. Divisions, buds, or offsets.
SPECIAL USES. Hanging baskets. Terrariums.
Sansevieria Liliaceae Snake Plant
Here we have some of the most fortuitous “sports” in the history of plants. The tall, stiff, ungainly but omnipresent snake plant has produced spontaneously mutant growth that turned into neat, low, bird’s-nest miniatures that are really most attractive. First came the variety named ‘Hahni,’ a flat spiral of broad leaves tapering to a sharp point, dull green marked crosswise with splashy bands of lighter green. Another sport, ‘Silver Hahni,’ abandoned most of the crossbands and plated its green with pewter. Even more striking is ‘Golden Hahni,’ with lavish bands of creamy yellow running lengthwise of the leaf on either side of a center stripe of mottled green. And to top it all, these picturesque plants are just as easy to grow as the rugged species from which they sprang. Flowers, whitish or yellowish. Slow-growing.
CARE. Filtered sun, warm, loamy soil, slightly moist.
PROPAGATION. Division of clumps. Leaf cuttings (three-inch piece in sand, shade, and 65-degree temperature). Makes stolon-like buds that form the new plants.
SPECIAL USES. Dish gardens. Good house plant.
Sarcococca ruscifolia Buxaceae Sweet Box
Sweet box is a small, free-branching evergreen with attractive leathery leaves, broad at the stem but coming to a point. Has tiny fragrant white flowers.
CARE. Intermediate temperature, fresh air, loamy soil, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. Dish gardens, indoor bonsai.
Saxifraga sarmentosa Saxifragaceae Strawberry Begonia or Geranium
One of the few hardy perennials that will thrive indoors the year round. Round, hairy silver-veined leaves grow in a rosette from the crown, which also sends out slender red stems, strawberry style, with new little plants that root and grow wherever they touch soil. In late spring the fall stems are topped by cloudlike soft clusters of small white flowers. ‘Maroon Beauty’ is slightly darker, and larger.
More miniature, and more tricky, is the variety tricolor, sometimes called ‘Magic Carpet,’ with smaller, basically gray-green leaves, red-rimmed and variegated with wide areas of creamy white, purple underneath. In cool air and sun, the cream is strongly tinted pink.
CARE. Humid, cool, poor soil, dry.
PROPAGATION. Runners.
SPECIAL USES. Dish and sink gardens.
Saxifraga sarmentosa—a hardy perennial good for indoor miniature gardens
Schizocentron (Heeria, Heterocentron) elegans Melastomaceae Spanish Shawl
Mexican creeping perennial with thickly branched stems rooting at the joints, making a plush carpet of tiny, teardrop leaves. In summer the one-inch open-faced, royal-purple flowers seem unbelievably large and rich. This one is very nice in a small hanging basket, but its natural inclination is to creep and it really goes to town when it can cover soil or some sort of porous support such as a moss totem pole. It should be spectacular covering a hanging ball filled with sphagnum moss.
CARE. Intermediate temperature, humid, loamy soil with humus, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings, division of rooted stems.
SPECIAL USES. Small baskets, miniature gardens, ground cover.
Selaginella Selaginellaceae
Soft, fluffy foliage plants in all shades of green, including metallic, and with all kinds of growth, low and creepy, upright, even climbing. They bear more resemblance to each other than they do to their cousins the ferns.
emmeliana—sweat plant—As the nickname hints, this ferny plant languishes unless it is “perspiring” in high heat and humidity. In fact, once the fine-lace fronds turn dry and brown, they won’t be fresh and green again.
kraussiana browni—Scotch moss—Soft, symmetrical cushions of bright-green leaves, slowly spreading into larger mounds.
kraussiana (denticulata)—spreading club moss—Branching, rooting, creeping stems thickly set with needlepoint leaves.
lepidophylla—resurrection plant—Antithesis of the sweat plant. When the fan-shaped branches have dried out and curled into a ball, immerse them in water and they will come back fresh and green as ever.
martensi—Young branches stand upright, may drop or creep with age. The variety variegata has eye-catching white splashes, splotches, or tips and supports itself on stiff aerial roots from stems to soil.
plumosa—Foamy creeper with short, branching stems overlapped by foliage of fresh woodsy green.
uncinata—Foliage sparse but shimmering peacock-blue in shade. The running, branching stems have a ludicrous way of sending down stilt-like roots into the soil, so they seem to be running above the soil, not in it.
CARE. Fern culture; warm, humid, humus, shade, moist.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings in pots (several pieces per pot), in spring. Put on top of medium and cover with glass at 70 degrees until roots form at joints. Spores, division of rooted stems.
SPECIAL USES. Terrariums, greenhouses, ground cover.
Serissa foetida (japonica) Rubiaceae
A boxwood-like plant with tiny white-margined leaves clustered on branchlets. White funnelform flowers to one-half inch long.
CARE. Partial sun, average soil, moderately moist.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings.
SPECIAL USES. Artificial light, dish gardens, indoor bonsai.
Sinningia pusilla Gesneriaceae
If ever a plant was a miniature, this is it. The tuber is hardly as large as a grain of wheat. The soft round leaves, not even a quarter-inch across, make a flat rosette on the soil in a thimble, or any tiny pot. From the crown arise the thread-thin stems, to the great height of one inch. And from the tip of each stem stands a slim flaring, tube-like flower, pale orchid with violet veins and lemon in the throat. This plant is quite obviously close kin to the familiar gloxinia (G. speciosa hybrids), but you almost need a magnifying glass to compare the characteristics.
CARE. Warm, humid, humusy soil, filtered sun, slightly moist.
PROPAGATION. As for the gesneriads (Gesneriaceae).
SPECIAL USES. Terrariums, miniature gardens.
Miniature of miniatures, delightful Sinningia pusilla
Streptocarpus Gesneriaceae
When limited growing space frustrates the hobbyist who admires the great, glorious gloxinias (sinningias), here’s a selection of pleasing and precious substitutes. In general these plants are distinguished by the fact that the flower stems grow out from the base of the leaf where it joins its own stem (axil). The flowers are typical gesneriad trumpets, usually nodding; the leaves are mostly rather round and velvety. The following are fibrous-rooted:
hybridus—Botanical name for groups of hybrids called “as complex as the garden geranium,” with quilted light-green leaves and a wide selection of flower colors. One strain of particularly attractive low plants, the German Weismoor hybrids, has fringed and crested flowers up to four inches across, often contrastingly veined or blotched.
rexi—Long-oval, velvety leaves lie very flat. Six-inch stems hold two-inch funnel-flowers, pale orchid with purple throat.
saxorum—Leafy-stemmed species, the stems branching continually, making dense mounds of plump, one-inch oval leaves curled under on the edge and covered with soft silk-velvet. The lavender-flushed white flowers stand out at the end of wiry three-inch stems.
CARE. Cool, humid, loamy soil with humus, filtered sun.
PROPAGATION. Seeds (plant in early spring for flowers fall and winter), leaf cuttings, some offsets.
SPECIAL USES. Artificial light.
Tillandsia Bromeliaceae
There are several entrancing dwarfs and miniatures among these tree-perching bromeliads with curved, leathery, often quill-tipped leaves. For two of the newly listed species (T. argentea and T. tricolepsis) I can simply say that the leaf rosettes resemble airy, long-bristled cones; they have not yet flowered for me.
circinnata—The silvery leaves, broader at the base, overlap and form an urn-shaped, tuber-like swelling. Tight, flat spikes of glowing-orchid flowers in late winter.
ionantha—Three-inch tuft of pewter-gray leaves turn fiery red at flowering time, January-February. The inflorescence is an incredible paddle-shaped composition of fat, flat, tightly overlapping bracts, and the plant sends out large violet flowers day after day.
stricta—Shaggy “head” of very narrow, every-which-way leaves silvered with finest gray fuzz; short-stemmed spikes with shocking-pink bracts and blue-violet flowers.
CARE. Warm, humid, orchid-growing medium, wire to board with orchid peat. Moist during spring and summer. Dry in dark winter months, when plant is semidormant.
PROPAGATION. Offshoots.
SPECIAL USES. “Log” gardens, tree slabs.
Tradescantia Commelinaceae Spiderwort, Inch Plant, Wandering Jew
Most varieties of the inch plants that cheerfully romp all over indoor gardens are, of course, too rambunctious to be called miniature. But there are two species of much more modest proportions and habit.
multiflora—Unmistakably an inch plant, but with stems more threadlike than succulent; small, slim (even quite thin) leaves plain dark green, tinted purple beneath; and clusters of tiny white winking flowers. The effect is, believe it or not, delicate and “ferny.”
navicularis—China plant—Curious succulent creeper with very thick stems threaded through widely spaced pairs of clasping leaves folded tightly down the center; rose-purple flowers.
CARE. Easy culture, intermediate temperature, needs fresh air, loamy soil, filtered sun, dry side.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings of growing shoots, seeds, division.
SPECIAL USES. Baskets.
CHAPTER 7
MINIATURE ROSES, INDOORS AND OUT
Men, women, and children; gardeners, nongardeners, and the family cat—everyone is captivated by a four-inch rosebush with precise little leaves and thorns, studded with button-size buds and flowers, twinkling in its pot on the window sill. On her weekly visit the cleaning woman checks on its health and welfare. The baby-sitter has her boy friend come in to see it. The milkman wants to know where he can get one like it for his green-thumbed wife.
But if I had a dime for every eager buyer who has found these midgets disappointingly difficult to grow indoors, I could start building my dream greenhouse tomorrow. There are simply too many floriferous pictures with thimbles to show how cute the flowers are, and too few responsible growers who give specific cultural directions with every sale.
In the garden there’s no problem. These are by nature outdoor plants, mostly sturdier and more winter-hardy than the full-sized hybrid teas and floribundas. For some reason, they even seem to be less subject to the depredations of insects and disease. I can pick handfuls of Japanese beetles from the regulars in the rose garden, but few from the miniatures little more than a hundred feet away.
I’m not implying that miniature roses are impossible indoors. One of the most perfect blooming bushlets I’ve ever seen came to our flower show from a sparsely windowed, steam-heated Brooklyn apartment. I simply want to spread the gospel that, to avoid risking disappointment, everybody should know what kind of cultural conditions they need.
Potted miniature roses are positively precious in cool, sunny window gardens, with rows of matching pots on glass shelves up and down the window, or singles or small groups in mixed arrangements on the sill or in a window greenhouse. Although they are not the most adaptable subjects for growing under artificial light, I’ve known several people who have been successful, particularly when the plants were started under lights from seed.
In a harmonious decorative container, a flowering miniature rose makes a small plant-and-container decoration to inspire the prettiest compliments. With suitable environment a tiny bush can be used as a center of interest in an indoor model landscape. A small greenhouse should hardly be without one of these brightly blooming babies.
Miniature roses have many uses in sink or trough gardens, as single specimens, pairs or quadruplets in formal plantings, even hedgerows kept carefully trimmed. I don’t know whether anyone has ever tried them for miniature bonsai. This would be a process of dwarfing a dwarf; and my mental picture of the proper plant, artistically trained, is enchanting. I must try this, before long.
Outdoors, miniature roses are delightful in all kinds of containers—tubs, strawberry jars, window boxes, and other planters. They’re often used as a low hedge to edge a path, driveway, or the beds of a formal rose garden, or around the base of a birdbath or sundial. In mixed flower borders they’re planted singly or in small groups toward the front. In rock gardens they keep most safely cool and moist when planted low, near the base of the garden; and they show off most effectively with something like a dwarf evergreen as background.
Gardens featuring miniature roses are most often formal in design—round, square, rectangular, the beds divided with geometric precision by narrow strips of grass or gravel paths. A small, formal pool or piece of statuary may be the center of interest. In a sunken garden outlined with an eight-inch brick or stone wall, the planting pattern is particularly pleasing. In raised beds each individual shrublet can be enjoyed at eye level. In a single or double row at the base of a low retaining wall, the plants show off to advantage.
Beds of miniature roses can be carefully arranged strips, or groups of separate colors, or mixtures. They can be edged with shrubs such as dwarf box, perennials such as dwarf lavender, dainty annuals such as lobelia or alyssum. In the center a tree or standard is often used as accent. Or a bed may be backed by a wall, fence, trellis, or arch on which miniature climbers are trained. If the soil is slanted slightly up, toward the center, it is easier to see the plump perfection of each little bush.
Dwarf evergreens, particularly junipers, are popular backgrounds for miniature rose gardens. Upright types with symmetrical pyramid, column, or cone shapes are often used as accent—for example, a matching specimen of one of the dwarf varieties of Juniperus communis in the exact center of each formal bed.
Miniature or not, rose gardens are most often conceived in formal design. But to me, the cheerful dwarfs are more friendly when planted informally—popping up at the base of a tree stump or boulder, spotted here and there in the rock garden, a few at the top of a flight of small steps.