Identification of a Small Leaf Variegated Houseplant

Plants brighten gray winter days and city spaces, but only a few indoor gardeners possess their conservatories to provide unlimited light. Houseplants can provide a green interiorscape and thrive inside, especially when allowed to spend summer on a porch or patio. Many species have variegated cultivars with similar cultural needs to their all-green brethren. Choose one of the following plants to add interest to small spaces.

Hanging Vines

Hanging pots bring the outdoors in. String of hearts (Ceropegia woodii), also known as rosary vine, clings to pot sides when young, but forms an impressive mass when pinched. White-veined , heart-shaped leaves grow up to an inch across on this sun-loving native of arid climates -- water only when almost dry. The plant is outdoor hardy only in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 10. Glacier ivy (Hedera helix "Glacier") is a small-leaf ivy, with silvery green and white-rimmed triangular leaves. Although vine tendrils grow only 3 to 6 inches long, ivy is an aggressive grower. This bright little vine grows indoors and out, because it's hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9.

Succulent Gems

Tough succulents make long-lived houseplants. Crassula species, including the ubiquitous jade tree (Crassula argentea "Variegata"), have variegated cultivars, but the Crassula muscosa variegata, a 12-inch-tall plant with branches resembling pine branch ends, has some of the smallest leaves of the genus, measuring only millimeters across. The green leaves, variegated with pink and white, give the plant an exotic, wavering appearance. Succulents are at home in dish gardens with cacti and other plants that tolerate arid conditions. Crassula muscosa is a South African native that prefers mixed sun and shade exposure.

Small Space Plants

Plants pinched to promote compact growth are the right size for a terrarium or to bring color to a corner end table. Polka-dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya), also called freckle face plant, hardy in USDA zones 10 through 11, grows to 2 feet tall in the garden. Indoors, the plant, named for its pink variegation, stays about 12 inches tall and its ovate leaves remain about an inch across because the plant is kept small to promote bushiness. Variegated creeping fig (Ficus pumila "Variegata"), outdoor hardy in USDA zones 8 through 1, stays small in a terrarium although it spreads up to 15 feet in the garden. White-rimmed leaves remain under 1 inch wide indoors.

Blooming Minis

Blooms require more light than is present in most interiors and there are only so many windowsills where plants will not scorch. The variegated false shamrock (Oxalis corymbosa Aureo-reticulata, widely hardy) features delicately gold-veined, three-part leaves and pink spring flowers. Variegated shrimp plants (Justicia brandegeana "Variegata," hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11) require a warm, sunny room for its namesake bracts to form over gray-green ovate leaves mottled with white. On a plant left to grow leggy, leaves can grow to 2.5 inches long.