Hi,

I’m looking for a small (5-15cm) a tree-like plant which will live on my work desk. It should also be an easy to maintain and do not grow much.

Currently I do have “gasteria duval” from ikea - it is a easy to have plant, but it becomes bigger and does not look nice anymore :(

Hope for your suggestions! :) Thank you!

  • sara@lemmy.todayEnglish
    8·
    10 months ago

    In my opinion, jade plants sort of look like trees and don’t grow crazy fast. And as a bonus, they are almost impossible to kill.

  • gpupu@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    10 months ago

    Take a look at Portulacaria Afra. Its a suculent, but you could manage to prune it like a tree. There are peple that shape it like a bonsai. There is also a variegated type that looks stunning

    • gelberhut@lemdro.idOPEnglish
      2·
      10 months ago

      Phyllanthus mirabilis

      LIke this? Does it stay this size or will grow?

      Are there any which do not have this big bottom part? :)

      • rakyat@artemis.camp
        2·
        10 months ago

        It can apparently grow into a small tree in the wild, but seems to be a slow grower in a pot and stays small on a table top. I’ve had one for maybe a couple of years and it didn’t really seem to grow much.

        I’ve seen some kinds of small trees that are used for bonsai without the big bottom part but I’m not familiar with those. There’s also a type of dwarf maple that I’ve seen quite often but know nothing about. Maybe look up bonsai-related communities/websites!

  • hereforthepopcorn@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Pilea peperomioides Could also be a great option. I really like mine, it’s lovely to watch it grow and sprout new leaves. It does need quite a bit of light, though.

      • hereforthepopcorn@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        Yeah, that’s the one. I don’t think they’re necessarily that big. But if conditions are right, they can become as big as the one in the picture, and a bit taller as well. Mine is definitely smaller (and has been for a while). So I guess it depends on how small you want it to stay.

  • Zoift [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    The size constraint of fitting on a desk is going to be the biggest limiter. A dwarf fruit/citrus tree or rubber ficus is probably your best best if you’ve got a window spot.

    • gelberhut@lemdro.idOPEnglish
      2·
      10 months ago

      dwarf fruit Like 15cm high without growing higher? Any concrete suggestion/link?

      • Zoift [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        Meyer lemons & Kaffir Limes immediatly jump to mind, but ive heard good things about dwarf plums & dwarf blueberry bushes, would have to look into them farther. All of these will require root & branch pruning after a year or two, but that’s basically all woody plants if you wanna keep them desktop smoll.