Hello! I would like to create a miniature succulent terrarium and have had no luck online with what online nurseries call "miniatures". I am looking for succulents and living rocks that are truly miniature 1/4" - MMs, such as those found in these pendants: http://www.pinkytree.com/pinkytree/shareit Is there somewhere to find succulents this small online or do I have to grow from seed? Thank you! Jeff
Many of the plants on the pictures on that site are not true miniatures, they look more like very young plants that will grow bigger later. For example, the one above "Crowny" is an Astrophytum ornatum, which can reach a height of 1 m ... Among the "living rocks" I think Conophytum contains a few species that might suit your needs. Maybe. The smallest cacti become 1-2 cm, so I guess they are too big. Do you already know of any plants of this size?
No. I had a feeling that most of the plants were pups growing from seed. I may look into living rock and succulent seeds and planting.
First, I have to say I don't think a terrarium is such a good idea for succulents. Maybe a glass dish with no walls, placed in the sunniest spot (near a window) would keep them from rotting. There are some very small succulents (small leaved), but you would still need to trim them (as you would care for a bonsai plant). Some Sedum, Monanthes and Crassula come to mind. (Here are some I could think of: Crassula 'Dorothy', Crassula muscosa, Monanthes muralis, Monanthes polyphylla, Monanthes pallens, Sedum acre, Sedum hispanicum, Aichryson tortuosum, Sedum mocinianum -not sure how large its leaves are though & Sedum multiceps, Abromeitiella brevifolia, Haworthia chloracantha v. denticulifera.) You would also have to be sure you had well-draining soil. The plants in those pix are all young, some just one leaf...and would grow large with time. Good luck!
As mentioned above, the plants are not genetic miniatures, but are severely growth-restricted. These are likely seed-grown plants grown in a controlled greenhouse. For the "average-Joe" who does not have a greenhouse or someone to watch over the plants while we leave for the weekend or on a holiday/vacation, these are not a good choice. The smaller the plant and container, the more unstable the plant health. Temperature fluctuations, wet/dry cycles, etc. can easily stress such a small plant. You would be hard-pressed to create the near ideal conditions of temperature and moisture required to keep these little ones alive. Sure, they are a curious novelty item, but they would be a significant challenge for most of us to keep these plants healthy and vigorous over time. In fact, I would bet most would not survive shipping to your home. You might be better off with a collection of small succulents in, say, 4-6 inch clay pots. They would likely be much healthier and resilient to a little "neglect" that will undoubtably happen. My 2 cents worth.
Growth restricted is right! some are not whole plants even! The "Bubbly" product shows only two leaves of the s. rowleyanus. The actual plant needs the accomanying trailing vine in order to establish roots to survive. Looks like a trinket cash-grab to me.
Austrocylindropuntia subulata, one of the soecies they offer, gets up to 13 feet tall and 10 feet wide according to one website. If you read carefully through the bad grammar of the website, they don't say that the plants they sell will stay small. In fact, the explicitly state that they will need to be repotted within a year, so I say no to the suggestion of this operation being a cash grab. Either way, good luck with the search for miniature succulents!
thanks everyone. such a shame that plants are treated in such a manner. i'll create a large terrarium, with plenty of aeration and various succulents.
