A small variegated succulent

by Ben

Recently I got a cutting of a fleshy succulent from my aunt. At the moment it's only an inch-and-a-half tall, with light green variegated heart shaped leaves alternating along a fleshy stem. The plant from which the cutting had been taken is pretty big. Its long stems actually hang over the edge of the pot and droop down at least a foot. I'm having trouble identifying it and have no idea what it might be except some type of succulent.


Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Ben - lucky you, to be the recipient of a Legacy Plant. Many of these are easy to grow and are handed down from generation to generation, inspiring new gardeners to start their collections.

I was thinking it was Portulacaria afra var. variegata, but after looking at this plant on Dave's Garden Website, I'm not so sure. The stems on your plant are green, and the leaves have a mid rib, which the picture doesn't have.

Other than that, it's possible that it's a Pepperomia, as the leaves look similar to this plant: Peperomia magnoliifolia which the comment says will drape over the side of a planter. Look particularly at picture #1.

This related plant has very similar coloration:
Peperomia obtusifolium 'Golden Gate' but it's a poor specimen so it's hard to say if it's close to yours.

Hope this helps!
Jacki