Saturday 16 May 2015

Saturday Photo: Mystery Plant

My friends and family know I love plants, so frequently I receive flowers or houseplants as gifts on special occasions.  Last week was Mother's Day and Elin and Jeanne arrived with this lovely little one.

The pot is almost Zen in his simplicity, and I can see that it will take a favoured position in my indoor garden no matter what plant it contains.  But I hope that the one in it now thrives because it is very interesting.  Long, thin branches that appear to be succulent, with tips that look as if they're ready to grow.  No spikes like a cactus, no hint from the soil in the pot as to what it originally grew in.

I called the florist to see if they knew what it was, but the person who answered didn't have a clue.  "We sold so many things last weekend," she said with mixture of pleasure and fatigue.

The photos I found on line suggested that it might be a salicornia, sometimes called sea asparagus, and sold around here in fish markets.  But they tend to be salty, and this one doesn't taste that way.  (Taking a chomp from an unidentified plant probably isn't too wise, but so far I'm still alive.) 

If anyone who reads this has an idea of what it is, I'd love to hear.

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