Gosh, this little one may be close to 50 yrs old now that I think about it. My Mom and 4 friends became 'The Girls' back in the 1960's and at some point one of them bought the Momma of this plant...she named it George. At some point the baby plants appeared around the Momma, they were all potted and given to the other 4 'girls' so they each had a George of their own. This is my Mom's and I am pretty sure it has been in the same pot for the whole time she has had it. When we moved her closer she asked me to take it home and make it better, then she told me to keep it because her eyesight was failing and she was afraid she would not be able to care for it. So, it now has a partner in the pot and I would like to re-pot it so it has more room to grow. Right now I am keeping in on a shelf at the front window where it gets bright light but no sun. Does anyone know what it is so I can be sure how to take care of it. I am pretty sure my Mom never put it in sunlight and that could be why it is still so small, the larger one is roughly 5" tall and 7" across. My name is George, what am I? ( photo / image / picture from toni's Garden )
They feel very smooth and are a little thicker than leaves of a Pothos ivy but not anywhere nearly as thick as a succulent. New leaves grow from the center and make the plant a little taller with each layer of leaves. I never saw the parent plant so I don't know how large it got and my Mom can't remember either.
Well I think that I have seen it before...I shall search my books and tomorrow I plan to go to a garden cewnter, so I shall keep an eye out for you, Toni. I like a good mystery, don't you?
It really reminds me of a Sansevieria subspicata, a short variety of Snake plant and sometimes called Devil's-tongue. The pattern on the leaf was what made me think this although I have never seen one so full. Here is a photo of a younger plant http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/123793/ Yours is certainly the best specimen I have ever seen of whatever type of plant it is. Simply lovely!
I wish I could help ID George. I love the story of how you got him. I basically just replied so I would keep getting notices on this post!
I have had Sanseveria and these leaves aren't thick enough to stand up like that. But thanks for the suggestion.
I had that plants years ago. It started out in a dish garden but I had to transplant it to separate pot. The leaves were thinner than most sansevieria, this is the closest I could come to identify it. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/154986/
Gail, that's the closest I have seen to my plant. I am wondering if mine was getting less shade and more warmth if the leaves would stand up like the one in that link. I think I will try repotting it, keep one in the house in case I am wrong and put the other outside in warmer and a little brighter light to see if that makes a difference in the leaves. Thanks for the link.
Toni, What a lovely story about the plant's origin and history. My mother had one too. They are commonly known as 'Hens and Chicks' because the sanservia---(cross that out, meant sempervivum) makes runner-babies beside itself. The plant loves full sun, but since yours has not been in it for so long it may kill it if directly treated that way. People typically grow them in strawberry pots, so the plant can expand.
Sorry to report that my trip to the garden center out by the windmill did not produce an answer to your question. I know that I have seen it though, and that's what is so annoying.
