Little People (Lepuropetalon spathulatum), one of our smallest floweiring plants, is dwarfed by a dime. Although some call it Petiteplant, Little People conveys a much more satisfying experience.
Years ago, before living in the Florida Panhandle, I called an acquaintance who was a botanist to discuss various plant finds. Having not yet seen this miniature plant, I asked, “Do you know where Little People might be?” There was a distinctly long pause as I am sure he must have been visualizing Leprechauns and thinking maybe I was not as sane as I appeared. Once I elaborated with the Latin name, I could hear his sigh of relief!
Even with precise directions to a site, we could not find the plants. Several years later, armed with even more specifics such as “Look for an old tire,” we tried again. Even then, we called our friends for reassurance that we were in the correct spot. After crawling on our our hands and knees for a while, we did finally spot the elusive plants.
