Parth’s jade plant connects him with his father and keeps him rooted. His father tended a jade plant at Parth’s grandparent’s motel in Youngstown, Ohio. When Parth graduated high school, his father showed him how to propagate one of the leaves from the original plant at the motel. Propagation is the act of trimming a leaf, seed, or some other part of the parent plant, replanting it, and allowing it to grow. Parth has taken care of his jade plant for nearly five years now and kept it healthy across three different states and climates. He sees his plant, a tender tie to home, as a metaphor for his own spiritual and physical growth as a person. Whether a parent, a pet owner, or a plant tender to watch something grow that you are directly responsible for helps us grow as people.

Now take a moment to Listen to Parth’s connection to his Plant…

This item is part of the “Legacy” section of the Artifacts of Experience exhibition designed by University of Cincinnati students in the “Introduction to Public History” course in 2023.
We encourage you to explore the other objects in our collection.

Transcript

Kanah Johnson [KJ]: Hello, my name is Kanah Johnson, and I am here with…

Parth Patel [PP]: Parth Patel.

KJ: And we are doing Parth’s object for the object lessons assignment. To get into the first question, what is your object? And why did you choose said object?

PP: So, my object is my jade plant. And I chose it because it has a lot of meaning to me through growth.

KJ: Throughout your whole, like career, right?

PP: So, throughout my college experience the last five years, it’s pretty much grown with me. And I believe that it kind of just shows my own personal growth represents my personal growth.

KJ: Yeah. So, I mean, I see that you have actually grown and taking care of a lot of different plants here. Was this one of the first ones you decide to take care of? Or does it just have another special like significance to you.

PP: So, I have a few other plants that I grew before this one. And all through in terms of propagation. This one though, my father propagated from a plant, and I then took a leaf off that plant and grew it myself.

KJ: That’s very cool. So, it has, you know, like, almost like this legacy, with you as it was your father’s plant. And now it is your plant.

PP: Correct yes.

KJ:  If I may ask, is that plant father still alive? Or is that since like?

PP: No, so he… Yeah, he’s still alive, but the plants are no longer the original plant are no longer in our possession.  

KJ: Oh Okay.  

PP: So, it carries the weight of keeping that life alive.

KJ: Oh, that’s very cool. So, when you look at your plant, does it conjure a certain memory for you?

PP: So, the memory would be when I originally got it. Um My father grew up in a motel. And in the operation of that motel, you know, he would take care of these plants along with his other responsibilities. And when I would go to there and visit my grandparents, I would see this plant all the time. And I always thought it was massive and beautiful. And when my father told me that he had grown it himself is when I really got inspired to take a leaf and do it myself.

KJ: That’s actually very, very sweet. I mean, this is a very special connection you have with your father. And so, I mean, this might harken back to what I just asked you, but is there like a story about the plant and like, even after you’ve planted it yourself and taking care of it, that you like to tell, or you often think about?

PP: A story that I often tell when explaining this plant’s growth is that it essentially snapped in half twice. And I was still able to keep it growing. And I mean, I take it everywhere with me as if it’s like my child. I’ve traveled with it on co-ops.

KJ: And what co-ops are those?

PP: Over in Florida, and Houston, and then back to Cleveland, from where I originally got it.

KJ: And you’ve been able to take care of it the whole time?

PP: Yes. And I’ve been able to take care of it. And when it did snap is when I actually left it behind on a trip. And that’s when I started getting more protective over it.

KJ: That’s very interesting. Well, is there anything else you’d like to talk about with the plant or?

PP: Um not really, I I just really enjoy looking at it. It’s its branches, its leaves. I mean, again, that’s grown with me throughout college. So, I kind of see it as every time it grows a branch, I grow a branch, you know, I’m learning throughout my experience. And so is the plant, it’s growing throughout its life.

KJ: Well, thank you for your time and thank you for your story.

PP: Thank you.