Rarely does a house or apartment have no houseplants. Green pets not only decorate our home, but also give a charge of positive emotions, moisturize and purify the air, and many of them are medicinal or edible. It is not surprising that the collections of passionate gardeners sometimes reach impressive sizes and only a limited area stops lovers of indoor flora from searching for new rare specimens.

Unfortunately, our houses and apartments are still, for the most part, small in size. Keeping large flowers in such conditions is not very reasonable. However, a small space is not a reason to refuse home gardening, because the variety of natural forms is truly limitless. You just need to turn your attention to miniature house plants, which are no worse than their tall counterparts, but at the same time will not take up much space in the apartment.

There are plenty of compact crops and many of them are successfully grown in homes. Some of these flowers were made tiny by nature itself, others are the result of skillful selection. Be that as it may, among various types and varieties, you can easily choose a plant to your taste: beautifully flowering, decorative deciduous, succulent, etc.

So what are they indoor plants Can you call it the smallest? The answer is in our unique rating of mini-flowers suitable for keeping in a house or apartment.

Beautiful flowering miniature plants

There are not so many compact plants that delight us with the beauty of their buds and flowers, but they do exist. Beautifully flowering mini-copies, as a rule, appear artificially, which, however, does not detract from their value.

Mini violets– this is the name of the varieties of dwarf Saintpaulias. Although the ordinary violet itself is small, the miniature of this wonderful plant is even smaller. On sale you can find several varieties of tiny violets: micro (leaf rosette diameter is about 6 cm), mini (diameter 15 cm) and midi (diameter up to 20 cm). Despite the modest size of the bush, the flowers of mini-varieties are impressive in size and colored in a variety of colors. The shapes of flowers are also incredibly diverse: double, simple, star-shaped, bell-shaped, etc.

As for care, maintaining miniatures at home is no more difficult than other types of violets, but they will need much less space. If you want to purchase new varieties, but the size of your apartment does not allow you to expand your collection, pay attention to dwarf varieties.

Miniature Kalanchoe, Despite its exquisite appearance, it is not found too often. Compared to an ordinary houseplant, whose height is about 25 cm, the dwarf Kalanchoe does not grow higher than 15 cm. Scientists and breeders gave us this beautifully flowering miracle. Compact varieties of the flower have several names - “Mini Mix”, “Kalandiva mini” and various colors of buds - red, pink, white, cream.

Like other varieties of Kalanchoe, “Kalandiva mini” is distinguished by its flexible nature and does not require complex care. It is enough just to water, fertilize, prune and replant the plant in time.

Mini violet, dwarf Kalanchoe

Mini gloxinia– this is the name given to low varieties of beautifully flowering representatives of the Gesneriaceae family. Strictly speaking, these plants are not Gloxinia, but Sinningia, but this is the name that is used in everyday life. Dwarf varieties Many fans of gloxinias and sinningias were waiting for this magnificent flower, and just recently they finally appeared on sale.

The names of the varieties are unusually poetic - “Côte d’Azur”, “ young lady", "Rose of Argentina", "Pure Soul", " The Little Prince», « Bell ringing"And all of them are distinguished by extraordinary colors of various, bright or pastel, shades. All of the above and many other varieties of mini-gloxinia have only one thing in common - the height of these wonderful indoor flowers does not exceed 20 cm.

Mini roses, unlike previous types, are found in stores quite often and are in unprecedented demand among customers. This is not surprising: the beauty of the flower is mesmerizing, and the compact size of the plant allows it to be grown even in a small room. However, before you buy a rose, consider whether you can care for it. Indoor roses, including dwarf ones, are unusually capricious and top the list of the most capricious green pets.

It is believed that all varieties miniature roses descended from Chinese rose"Minima", brought to the Old World. A little later, the varieties “Pompon de Paris” and “Rouletii” were bred in Europe. Well, after some time, when the passion for mini-roses became widespread, breeders pleased flower growers with a whole galaxy of new varieties.

Mini gloxinia, mini rose

Decorative foliage miniature plants

Houseplants that delight the eye with the beauty of their patterned leaves are no less beautiful than their flowering counterparts. Bright greenery looks wonderful in any interior. And the size of the room is not so important if you choose miniature types.

Soleirolia or, as it is called differently, helxina is distinguished by very small (no more than 7 mm) leaves and thin shoots-threads. Nature itself gave the plant such miniature dimensions. In the south of Spain and Italy you can see huge green glades of helxina growing in forests and on rocky slopes. Well, the residents northern regions have adapted to growing soleirolia in pots, where it forms unusually spectacular bushes-balls of golden or silver color.

Nerteru often confused with helxina. Indeed, at first glance, these plants are very similar: small, round, glossy green leaves on thin stems. The main difference is the bright red berries that appear in the summer. The berries, similar to coral beads, are unusually decorative and greatly decorate the nertera bush.

Not everyone can grow nertera: it requires a period of rest and correct pruning. On the other hand, thanks to its miniature size, the plant can be kept even in small room. By the way, this is translated from the Greek nerter - “low”, “small”.

Saltirolia, nertera

Fittonia- incredible beautiful plant. Its leaves, depending on the variety, are decorated with the most unusual patterns: pink or silver veins, bright green, purple or grayish spots. The shape of the leaf also varies: there are more rounded or elongated, with a sharp or blunt tip, smooth or wavy edge. All this splendor is the result of the painstaking work of breeders who do not ignore the plant.

In addition to its unusual leaves, Fittonia amazes with its tiny size. The exotic beauty spreads along the ground and does not grow too much. Fittonia – great choice for gardeners who want to purchase a beautiful but compact plant that takes up little space in the apartment.

In houses and apartments, the dwarf ficus behaves much more modestly, and therefore has received the love and recognition of flower growers. In addition, not so long ago new varieties were developed that differ in leaf color, and it is possible to choose a plant to suit your taste.

Fittonia, tiny ficus

Episcia, although it is grown mainly for its patterned, downy leaves, it blooms quite beautifully. Bell-shaped flowers can be yellow, white, pink and red. The colors of the leaves are even more varied: brown-chocolate, white-light green, raspberry. The leaf blade is often decorated with veins of a contrasting shade. The total height of the plant is about 18 cm.

Growing episcia at home is not difficult, but there are still some subtleties in care: high air humidity, moderate watering, timely pruning of the bush. In addition, the plant has fibrous, strongly growing roots, which require a wide container. However, the beauty of a miniature flower more than compensates for all the efforts of the gardener.

Mühlenbeckia- a rare guest in our homes. Calling the plant miniature is only a stretch. Its round leaves are really small (their sizes rarely exceed 2 cm), but the shoots are quite long. The flexible stems can be shaped to suit your taste - leave them in the form of a hanging vine, wrap them around a figured support, or simply trim them to the desired shape. Mühlenbeckia is extremely graceful and resembles green lace created by nature itself.

Episcia, Mühlenbeckia

Miniature succulents and cacti

There are quite a lot of tiny succulents in nature. These species growing in difficult conditions arid deserts, have adapted not to waste resources. Some store water in their leaves, others, like cacti, store water in thick trunks, and others are so small that they need very little moisture. Many of these plants are now cultivated at home.

Lithops or living stones are truly amazing creatures. Their aboveground part consists of thick, fleshy leaves divided in two. A luxurious flower emerges from the center, which can be, depending on the species, white, red, yellow or bright pink. Lithops are extremely exotic - few plants can compete with them in originality. These succulents really resemble round, colorful pebbles, and some of them look like sea animals or corals.

Like other representatives of desert flora, lithops are very unpretentious: they do not need frequent watering and fertilizing, and are able to survive even in poor soil in the open sun. In addition, living stones are very miniature - no more than 5 cm in height and diameter. Lithops look extraordinarily beautiful in potted compositions, with the inclusion decorative crushed stone, shell rock and other succulents.

Gibbeum very similar to lithops. This is not surprising, because the plants belong to the same Aizaceae family. The appearance of gibbeum is very original: thick, fleshy leaves, split into two parts, form dense thickets on the soil surface. Exotic flowers are a bit like chrysanthemums and are painted in a variety of shades: soft pink, cream, lilac, orange. Because of its unusual appearance, this desert inhabitant was popularly nicknamed “baby’s bottom,” “parrot’s beak,” and “ostrich paws.”

The secrets of caring for gibbeum are simple: minimal watering, poor soil, as much as possible more sun. Do not forget that the succulent stores water using its long root, so the pot must be deep enough.

Lithops, gibbeum

Conophytum– one more close relative living stones. This is a miniature succulent with thickened heart-shaped or spherical leaves, the dimensions of which do not exceed 1 cm. There are even varieties only a few mm high. The flowers of this exotic plant are also small and have bright, rich colors. Every year the conophytum increases in growth quite a bit, growing mainly only in breadth.

IN wildlife The plant can only be found in South Africa, but conophytum is very popular in indoor culture. The shape of the tiny succulent is so unusual that it always delights gardeners.

Faucaria, like the previous species, is a representative of the Aizaceae family. However, this plant is a little different from others. Faucaria can be recognized by its pointed, fleshy leaves, the edges of which are covered with soft spines-hairs. Despite their extremely threatening appearance, these thorns only scare away animals and insects without causing them any harm. The leaves are collected in a dense basal rosette, the height of which is no more than 10-15 cm. A yellow or white flower with thin needle-shaped petals blooms from the center of the rosette.

Caring for faucaria, like other desert flora, is quite simple - the flower only needs infrequent watering, hot dry air and poor soil.

Conophytum, faucaria

Rebutia- this is the name of a whole genus of miniature cacti, consisting of 20 species. These cacti are distinguished by their small (up to 10 cm) height, a large number of sharp leaves-spines and bright, showy flowers. The stem is usually spherical or, less commonly, elongated, tuberous, juicy and dense.

At home, subject to simple care rules, rebutia grows well and often blooms. This dwarf cactus will not take up much space in the apartment.

Sulcorebutia, according to some sources it is included in the genus Rebutia, and according to others it is a separate genus from the cactus family. Be that as it may, sulcorebutia can easily be classified as one of the smallest cacti. The size of the plant does not exceed 5-10 cm. Despite the small stature of the tropical guest, the chrysanthemum-like flowers are quite large and stand out with their bright colors.

Rebutia, sulcorebutia

Echinopsis or lobivia is a name that combines several species of cacti, whose homeland is South America. Echinopsis can be very different - round, elongated, with long or short spines. And the flowers of these cacti are very different: the petals can be red, pale pink, white or yellow. Typically, domestic lobivia is of medium size, but there are several species whose height does not exceed 10-12 cm. These are, for example, Echinopsis arachnoid, Tigel, Yayoyan, Backerberg and some others.

Thanks to its spectacular appearance and flexible character, this cactus has won the recognition of flower growers around the world and is now perhaps the most common home succulent.

Turbinicarpus- one of the smallest cacti. In nature, this plant is hardly noticeable among huge deserts, but in small rooms it looks quite appropriate. It is interesting that due to its small size, turbinicarpus was discovered only half a century ago and scientists are still finding new species. The cactus has a thick, fleshy stem, divided into large segments, the tops of which are equipped with soft spines. Turbinicarpus, like many of its fellows, has very spectacular flowers: large and bright, with thin long petals.

If you ask what is the smallest bird in the world, most of you will immediately answer without hesitation - hummingbird. What is the smallest plant in the world? Duckweed.

Duckweed (botanical family Lemnaaceae) is the smallest plant.
In addition, it is the tiniest among flowering plants. These swimming babies live in still or slow-moving fresh waters all over the world, except in the coldest regions. These miniature representatives of the flora are distinguished by their high protein content and surprisingly fast reproduction.

Lemna is the most famous plant of this group and has been the subject of much research.
Researchers use these plants to teach basic topics in plant development, biochemistry, photosynthesis, toxicity of hazardous substances, and much more. Genetic engineers are cloning duckweed genes and modifying duckweed to produce pharmaceuticals inexpensively.

Environmentalists use duckweed to remove unwanted substances from water.
Aquaculturists find it an inexpensive source of food for fish farming.

Lemna flowers consist of two stamens and one pistil. This plant has two leaves and one root. It produces seeds and fruits like others flowering plants, but mainly reproduces vegetatively .

Duckweed leaves are not considered leaves by strict botanical definition. Unlike the normal leaves of most plants, each duckweed branch contains buds from which leaves can grow. These buds are hidden from view in sacs along the central axis of older leaves. As they grow, new leaves emerge through slits towards their parent leaves. Until they mature, the daughter leaves may remain attached to the parent branch.

Duckweed does not typically grow in rivers, but drought in the summer of 1999 reduced water flow to the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Reduced inflows increased nutrient levels in the river, allowing duckweed to accumulate abundantly in the channels. And only when the drought period had passed, the duckweed was gradually washed away by the flow of the river.

The green plant, known as duckweed or Lemna, covers about 12 percent of the 13,500 square kilometers of Lake Maracaibo, Caracas. Venezuela is trying to fight this aquatic plant. But it grows faster than it can be removed. Taking action to eliminate aquatic weeds from Venezuela's largest lakes Minister of Conservation environment called it a priority. The lake in western Venezuela is one of the largest water basins in South America and is the most important oil-producing area. Venezuela spends about $2 million a month on cleaning.

Rafflesia(Rafflesia; Indonesian bunga patma - lotus flower), the corpse lily is the brightest symbol and rarity of the flora of Indonesia, and at the same time the largest (up to 9 kg in weight and up to a meter in diameter) flower in the world.

Amorphophallus(Latin Amorphophallus - from ancient Greek ἄμορφος, “shapeless”, and ancient Greek φαλλός, “phallus”) - a genus of the family Araceae

The smallest flower in the world has petals that are no more than 2.1 mm in diameter and are so transparent that you can see through them. This flower is orchid(belongs to the genus Platystele), discovered in the roots of an orchid of another species by the famous American botanist Lou Jost.

The smallest plant is Wolffia flower. It consists of a tiny leaf and root immersed in water. Wolfia blooms so rarely that many botanists chase its flower all their lives, but they never manage to find it... After all, the whole flower is the size of a pinhead.

The noisiest tree is the so-called cannon tree, growing in Guiana. Its fruits are round balls up to 18 cm in diameter. They hang from the trunk on thick loops. The wind blows, and the balls begin to hit the barrel and each other with a cannon roar.

The most solid wood- This Schmidt birch. A bullet will not pierce it, and the sharpest ax will become dull without causing harm to the tree. Schmidt's birch grows only in Russia, in Primorye, in the Kedrovaya Pad nature reserve.

This amazing water lily has been named after the most famous English queen for more than a century and a half. Nothing surprising. Victoria regia is the queen of flora, the world's largest aquatic plant. It is also called “Amazonian Victoria”, as it can be found on the warm rivers and lakes of the Amazon basin

Carnegia gigantea (Saguaro) one more thing amazing plant cactus family . The height of individual plants is about 14 meters, and the diameter is more than 3 meters! Moreover, the age of individual cacti reaches 150 years.

Nepenthes (Nepenthes). Most plants from this genus can be called, without exaggeration, “predators”, which obtain the necessary missing nutrients by “digesting” captured insects. The surface of the “neck” of the jug is very slippery, so there is practically no chance for an insect walking along the neck not to slip down. An insect falls into the water (at individual species the jug can contain up to 2 liters of water) and sinks. Next, enzymes are produced that completely “digest” the insect. Sometimes not only insects are trapped, but even mice , rats, birds.

At first glance, it may seem that the photo above depicts a forest. In fact, it is one single tree. Ficus bengal forms powerful branches to support which shoots grow, which, when released down to the ground, take root, forming powerful columns-trunks.

Puya Raymonda The Bromeliad family, native to the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes, has the largest inflorescence with a diameter of 2.5 meters and a height of about 12 meters, consisting of approximately 10,000 simple flowers. It is a pity that this amazing plant blooms only when it reaches 150 years of age, and then dies.

Raulia eximia, English name sounds like "vegetable sheep", which very accurately describes the appearance of the plant. This 1.5 m tall bush really resembles a lamb. Grows in New Zealand.

Pachypodium namaquanum The plant's English name translates to "elephant's trunk." This succulent has fleshy leaves, collected in a large funnel, pointed at the end. The homeland of pachypodium is Namibia, where the plant thus has to survive in the heat by accumulating moisture in the leaf blades.

Cross-shaped collection (Colletia paradoxa)

Giant Kirkazon (Aristolochia gigantea). Grows in a wide variety of climatic conditions. Kirkazon is significant primarily for its flowers. Everyone possible ways flowers imitate... rotting meat. This is facilitated by both the corresponding smell and color.

Desmodium gyrans. Modern botanists call it either Desmodium gyrans, or, more correctly, Codariocalyx Motorius. This plant surprises everyone with the movement of its leaves - the plant seems to be dancing, especially if there is a lot of sun.

Euphorbia obesa very similar to a ball . This plant is native to South Africa and has become famous for its original shape. This plant is also known for its rarity - the fact is that Euphorbia obesa is endemic, that is, it grows strictly in a certain region, not found anywhere else.

New Zealand nettle tree. The most dangerous stinging plant is the New Zealand nettle tree. It can kill a dog and even a horse, etc. crawling under their skin with a mixture of strong poisons. The fine, stinging hairs on the leaves contain histamine and formic acid.

Common arum (Dracunculus vulgaris)- plant up to 90 cm tall, leaves reach 20 cm in length.
Leaf petioles and fleshy stems - with brown spots, which gives them the appearance of snakeskin. An inflorescence appears at the top of each stem at the beginning of summer. The blanket with a wavy edge reaches a length of 45 cm. On the outside it is pale green, on the inside it is purple-crimson. The dark purple cob is the same length as the spathe.

Amorphophallus(from Latin its name translates as “shapeless penis”) belongs to the lily family. Its flowers are huge leaves dissected in the middle, from which a large cob emerges. The aroma of amorphophallus is usually compared to the smell of rotten eggs, spoiled fish or meat, but it attracts insects that pollinate the plant. The plant lives for about 40 years and during this time it blooms only a couple of times.

BLOODY TOOTH (HYDNELLUM PECKII). This cute fungus looks like chewed bubble gum, oozing blood and smelling like strawberries. But don’t even think about eating it, because this will be the last “delicacy” you will taste in your life.

DOLL'S EYE. This unusual plant called “doll eyes”. There is also a less telling name for this horror - black sheep. No features other than yours appearance this plant does not have.

CEDAR-APPLE RUST FUNGUS. Cedar-apple rotting mushroom is a fungal infection that transforms apple and cedar fruits beyond recognition. You can make horror films about this abomination: infected fruits turn into disgusting monsters in just a few months. Here's how it happens: from a tiny fungal spore, an impressively sized spherical body develops - from 3.5 to 5 centimeters in diameter; when wet, this abomination exfoliates, forming disgusting tendrils.

CHINESE FLEECEFLOWER. The fruits of the “rune flower” have frightening shapes that make them look like little potato people. The Chinese uproot these tiny underground inhabitants from the earth in order to use their naked, defenseless bodies as a panacea for all diseases, including impotence, cancer, AIDS, dementia, etc., etc.... Before turning into life-giving powder, the little men are subjected to all kinds of torture, including: boiling, skinning, soaking in moonshine and dismemberment.

There is an assumption that the Chinese simply grow these roots in a pot of the desired shape...

PORCUPINE TOMATO. The Porcupine tomato is a one and a half meter monster growing in Madagascar, the leaves of which are covered with terrifying-looking spines. orange color. This spiky miracle has incredibly beautiful purple flowers, collected in clusters, with which he lures his victims to him: and now you bend down to pick one of them and find yourself impaled on “deadly” thorns. In addition to the fact that the Porcupine tomato is prickly and poisonous, it is almost impossible to kill: it does not care for most chemicals and can survive severe cold and even severe drought. As you already understood, this creation of nature is a monster weed. In a short time, one plant can produce a whole army of Porcupine tomatoes, which in a few weeks will turn into 1.5 meter giants, each of which will fight to the last and shed more than one liter of your blood before being uprooted from the ground.

Lithops. This unusual plant can be found in deserts South Africa. Lithops exclusively prefer heat and dry habitats. The name of this plant, translated from Greek, means "stone"

Parachute flower (Ceropegia woodii) The petals joined together and something like a lollipop covered with hair together form a hollow tube, covered from the inside with hairs directed inward. The smell of the plant attracts insects that fall into the trap.

The northernmost of the birches - growing in the tundra and in the northern part of the forest zone dwarf birch. The tiny guardian of the inhospitable tundra cannot boast of either the beauty or the quality of its wood. The dwarf birch tree is sometimes shorter in height than mushrooms, and its trunk is no thicker than an ordinary pencil. And the smallest shrubs, only 5 centimeters high, are arctic willows, growing on the largest ice island on the planet, in Greenland.

The smallest representatives flora found not only in the Arctic, but also in hot, waterless deserts.

About a hundred years ago, the German botanist Friedrich Welwitsch, traveling through the rocky deserts and coastal waterless sandy massifs of South-West Africa, discovered a plant that from a distance resembled a heap of garbage. This plant was subsequently named Welwitschia amazing. It is the only representative of the Velvichiaceae family.

“Not a tree, not a bush, not grass, but something completely unique!” - botanist B.M. said about Velvichia. Kozo-Polyansky. It has a thick, stump-like trunk up to half a meter high and almost one and a half meters in diameter. A real dwarf tree!

A rather fleshy tap root up to three meters long extends from the trunk. It most likely serves more to store nutrients and strengthen the plant than to absorb water from the soil. The fact is that in the amazing Namib Desert, where Velvichia grows, not a drop of rain falls for months, and sometimes even years, and the plants receive the necessary moisture from the thick fogs that envelop the coast almost 300 days a year. Moisture condensed on the surface of the leaf is absorbed by the stomata. That is why Velvichia is not found anywhere except in the fog zone. This is approximately 80-100 kilometers from the ocean coast.

The stem of Welwitschia is divided into two large lobes, from which two large greenish-brown leaves extend in opposite directions, up to three meters long and 30 centimeters wide. The leathery, ribbed leaves feel like wood. They persist throughout the life of Welwitschia, which, as determined using radiocarbon dating, can last up to 2000 years.

The local population calls Velvichia “oji-tumbo”, which means “big master”. Its wood is very durable, fresh wood sinks in water, and dry wood burns without smoke and for a very long time, like charcoal.

Some families, whose representatives are famous for their height and grandeur, at the same time have their own dwarfs. For example, the smallest palm tree is considered dwarf spargus. Its height is only 10 centimeters.

Among eucalyptus trees, the tallest deciduous trees, the shortest is eucalyptus sticking out, growing in the Australian deserts. He seems like a dwarf compared to his 100-meter-long brothers, because his height is only one meter.

In the free spaces of stagnant and slow-flowing reservoirs they can develop unhindered duckweeds. These include 3 genera and 25 species, distributed almost throughout the planet. These little ones, not exceeding 10 millimeters in diameter, have a very significant feature. They compensate for their small size by rapid vegetative reproduction. Daughter plants - children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren - form a thick green carpet-clone on the surface of the water.

Duckweed is a plant with a strongly shortened stem. The thread-like root serves only for balance, and in some species it does not exist at all. Leaves are usually absent, less often represented by small scales. Duckweeds bloom very rarely. In autumn, starch accumulates in their tissues. Plants become heavy and sink to the bottom of the reservoir. By spring, the starch is consumed, and the duckweed floats to the surface.

Some living organisms are so small that they can only be seen with a microscope at high magnification. They are called microorganisms. Evolution began with microorganisms organic world. Many of them have survived to this day. Microorganisms include unicellular algae. Each plant, just one cell, cannot be seen with the naked eye, without magnification. But tiny organism cells are capable of dividing very quickly, in just a few hours. Therefore, large colonies form in the water. They give it a tint according to the color of the algae (green, blue-green, etc.).