MY ENCOUNTER WITH A MYSTERIOUS PLANT

May 11, 2016

There is a lot of dirt on the Internet about houseplants. Even with all this information out there, keeping plants alive is a daily struggle for me. So you would think I really wouldn't make it any harder for myself by bringing in rare, or dare I say - 'unknown' plants home, right?  But yeah, that's what I did anyway. 
 
A few weeks ago I was plant shopping and spotted what looked deceptively similar to a Pilea Peperomioide (PP). In case you are not familiar with this plant, this is a much sought after plant among indoor gardeners.

Even though it is rumored to be a very low maintenance  plant, it is not commercially cultivated. So it's pretty hard to come by, unless you know a friend who has one and can give you a cutting. And if you do, please, please introduce me to your friend!
 

Knowing all this, I almost cried out loud, when the nice store manager told me it looks like a Chinese Money plant, which is the PP's common name. But we both were skeptical of its red stems. Still, having encountered this plant face to face, I made the easy choice of bringing it home.

 
I lurked around plant forums and other blogs trying to get someone to ID this plant. Everyone was stumped by the looks of this plant. No one had seen a red-stemmed PP before. But except for that, it looked just like one.



I was getting ready to name this plant after me, when some nice folks from the GardenWeb forums at Houzz (which btw should be your one stop for every plant question), were finally able to tell me that it is a  Begonia Conchifolia! I googled it, and it's an exact match. So much for my namesake.

 
So even though I am disappointed it's not a Chinese Money Plant, I am still excited because it's a unique plant!

Unfortunately, it is not doing so well ( I accidentally dropped it on the floor, can you believe me?). So send me some good plant vibes, won't you?

 
Cheers,
Vinaya

You Might Also Like

7 comments

  1. Oh, Vinaya, I hope and prey she survives, she is so pretty. Love her details - red stem, bright leaves - altogether a happy plant . Good luck and thank you for being my friend who is gonna share a stem as soon as possible ( ha ha, wink here)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope it does :(

      Ha ha , sure I am totally that friend! Now let's both say a prayer for this one :)

      Delete
  2. Sending good plants {{vibes}} your way! It's such a unique looking plant, the leaves are such a wonderful shape and pretty bright color! I will definitely pin it to my plant board.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Linda! Yes it's so unique, and the PP plant is too! I'm secretly still hoping mine will turn into that :)

      Delete
  3. I've got one too, can you believe it? (Or at least I think that's what it is...hm...) When I bought it, it was full of flowers, but then it kind of semi-died and came back to life a few times. Such a tough little plant. I recently re-potted it and I am sending it good vibes every day. I must read about it and see why it doesn't thrive, with all the care and food I gave it. :) Good luck with yours, can't wait to see photos of it when it's in bloom. Mx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha that's an incredible coincidence! I just read that its blooms are very fragrant. So good to know that it's a tough plant, maybe mine will bounce back. Fingers crossed !

      Delete
    2. The plant likes and look healthy if they are in terrarium. They love humidity.

      Delete