Your favorite terrarium plants

Hi all. I am planning to set up my first terrarium which will be approximately 12"x18" and I would like to know what some of your favorite plants are for terrariums of this size. It should be beautiful when it's done; the container looks like a victorian house that is all metal and glass.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions. I can't wait to get this put together!

Well of course my answer would have to be episcias! LOL!!! I just love them, and they do so well in terrariums. I also really like my heart fern (hemionitis arifolia).

Karen

Thanks Karen! I will check those plants out now. Hopefully I will have some pictures to show soon. :)

Please do!

Oh,I second episcias and just about any other small houseplant...
I've put one of just about everything in a terrarium for a short while. really like the lil Exotic Angel plants that come in a 3.8 pot for doing terrariums...you can divide them and just use one piece or the whole pot.

Looking forward to seeing you creation!

MsC

Thanks MsCritterkeeper! I can't wait to go shopping!

Deerchaser: Look forward to seeing your new terrarium when it's finished! From your description it sounds like a Wardian case type terrarium. I would love to have one of those .... check out some of them at this website I came across awhile back:

http://www.englishcreekgardens.com/wardian.htm

Yes Plantladylin, my case looks like the table top model! Instead of a hinged top, the whole top lifts off. I bought it a couple of years ago, but just getting around to filling it. I'm a little concerned about the fact that the only window I can place it in is a south facing window with almost no direct light due to tall trees blocking the sun. I need to find out what plants would do best there. Any advice would be appriciated.

Thanks,
Donna (Deerchaser)

Still stickin' with the episcias...

(I'm an addict of them!)

Episcia's, Fittonia (Vein Plant), Petite Peace Lily. Depending on the plant, you might find that you have to keep pinching them back to keep them small enough that they don't outgrow the space. But, I sometimes have to pull plants out of terrariums when they get too large and replace them with new smaller ones! Can't wait to see your terrarium all planted up! Please post a photo when you get it finished!

Here's a good sight that lists some plants for terrariums:

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/terrarium~plants.html

Thanks for the link, lin. I am printing it out now. Do you just buy your plants locally, or is there a good source on line?

I buy most of my plants at Wal-Mart. Sometimes from Home Depot, Lowes or Target. Wal-Mart carries those Exotic Angel plants and they are cheaper there than at HD, Lowes & Target! You can find the little pots for a couple of bucks at Wal-Mart. And, as someone else said you can divide them up and have enough for planting a terrarium or two.

Yes, I will try those sources, although, I think their selection might be better in Florida than up here in Rhode Island. I, was just chatting with someone about a great on line source called Logee's, and to my surprise, found out from their website that they are only 25 miles from me. So I will pay them a visit as well. I just love shopping for plants! It always cheers me up.

Donna

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! I am jealous that you can drive to Logee's..................all of the exotic angel plants I buy, I divide at least 4 plants out of each pot...............and then continue to propagate just for terrarium use.

Oh, I get Logee's catalogs .... nice plants! Prices can be a bit steep but I love their catalog ... really nice plants! I would LOVE to visit their nursery!

I have a bad habit of wanting to only handpick what I buy.............that is why I am breaking my neck to get to the state convention............not only will they sell the plants (all gesneriads, too) in the show but the state's best vendors will be there selling their best................

Waaaaaaaaaa ..... Oh how I wish I could go to that State Convention with you Gail! I bet it will be a sight to see! Is that coming up soon? You must take many, many photo's!!! ...... and then post them on DG for us all to drool over!

It is the first week in November starting on a Thursday night in Kerrville, Texas where the judging will take place.............on Friday morning only the people who belong to the state association will be able to buy...............then they open it up to the public at noon on Friday and close on Saturday noon i think................can't wait.................I like to look at everything .............will take a lot of pictures, too...................

****if I don't get my money and application in soon, i won't get the benefit of a discount hotel room at this plush resort in Kerrville..................(plush according to Texas standards) (and mine!!)

Oh, it sounds wonderful Gail ... I bet you will have a blast! Is it just Gesneriad's or all kinds of plants? Can't wait to see the pic's.

Oh Lin, they will grow everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They may not be in the judging part.........meaning it may only be judging for avs????????????????????? I will be on the lookout for the 'odd stuff'...........and take tons of pics

HMMM,,,, I wonder if there is a 12-step group for us. LOL

Well, we made the trip to Logee's today. I wish I could have taken you all with me! What a wonderful maze of greenhouses, chock full of the most exotic plants imaginable! Some specimens were quite large, which was a treat to see. Not everything was in little pots for sale. Even the bathroom ceiling had vines growing on it! lol.

Tomorrow is planting day for the terrarium, so I will have pics soon.

I am soooooooooooooooooo jealous !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to see the final product..........gail

I too, am ssooooo jealous of you going to Logee's! I can only imagine how wonderful it must have been!

I know WildRose...............life isn't always fair is it????????? (LOL)....................I want to see Logees so much i could almost make it a yearly event!!

I wonder if I could take a camcorder there and post it on u tube??

Logee's catalog is sooo wonderful, I can only imagine what their facilities must be like! Some folks like taking vacations to Disney World .... I would love to take a vacation to Logee's!!

That is precisely what I am talking about, Lin....................just call it my vacation..............

Rex Begonias love a terrarium atmosphere and they are beautiful to boot :~) Mini ferns are lovely, too.

Lana

Hi All,

My camera is not cooperating, so no photos of the new terrarium yet. However, here is the list of plants that I put into it....Kee Wee Episcia, Selaginella Pallescens, Begonia Foliosa, Begonia Incisa (fern leaf begonia), Serissa Foetida, Ficus Pumila (snowflake) as a ground cover, and Selaginella Uncinata (peacock moss) as ground cover. Everything came from Logee's. So far everyone looks happy! LOL! My favorites are the foliosa which looks like a bonsai, and the episcia.

In addition to the terrarium plants, we bought a Begonia Maculata and some other goodies. I can see this is going to be a new addiction for my husband and I. We are already looking forward to winter trips through the Logee's greenhouses to get our "fix" of plant life.

I have the foliosa and love it soooooooo much...............wish i had the others.............well, I have Kee Wee................may have to do some shopping at Logees.............
can't wait to see yours!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is an exciting list of plants............

I'm researching tiny plants to put in a terrarium (Wardian case?) that's about 1 foot high and about the same in circumference. It has 10 sides and a really shallow bottom for soil. My buddy wants to get it for me as a birthday present since I oohed and ahhed over it at a Farmers' market. I don't want it filled up, but would rather showcase one or two plants in it. The best place that I have in which to display it is on a coffee table that gets some midday or afternoon sunshine, depending on the season.

Are there any tiny orchids? What about Rex begonias - I've read that lots of people use them, but I don't know where to get any that don't become tall, leggy things unless they have really bright light, and I already have too many plants under lights around the house! By the way, I live in Canada, so any mail order places will need to ship here.

Perhaps some kind of tropical bonsai? Any suggestions in that regard? Flowering plants? Help!!!

You might consider some of the miniature sinningias, such as Sinningia pusilla...
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/142148/

mini african violets...you can often find them at Lowes or Home Depot. A neat site for tiny plants/groundcovers is steppables.com
mini hostas would also work well for terrariums.

would love to see pics once you get it put together.

There are miniature paphiopedilum (slipper orchids). Some are quite small, and don't require strong light. They need good drainage and like to be pot bound in order to bloom, so you'd probably need to keep them in their pot. I'm definitely not an expert on these, but I have gotten several to thrive in a terrarium by burying the pot under moss/bark. Brennan's Orchids or Parkside Orchids usually have a few nice ones. There are also miniature phalaenopsis, but these require stronger light than paphs. I haven't tried these in a terrarium, so I can't say how well they'd do. Someone on the orchid forum would probably have a good advice about that.

Another option would be jewel orchids. They prefer terrarium culture and most do very well in low light. I've gotten some neat ones on e-bay. There was a wonderful series on jewels in Orchids magazine a few years back. One of the early articles gives some cultural info, including a recipe for a planting medium that I've found to be quite good. If you interested in these at all, I could probably dig up the article somewhere. Just LMK.

Jan

This message was edited Feb 9, 2012 12:48 AM

Reading this I remembered a terrarium I had set up carnivourous plants. There are some fine small specimin carnivourous plants that are ideal for terrariums. Some of them have wonderful blooms. There is a great online nursery, Sarracenia Northwest, that sells and more importantly has all the information for picking the right plants and how to grow them.

Kenrocky -- Sorry this took so long. I'll be e-mailing this, but wanted to post as well for anyone that might be following the thread. This is an excerpt from a series on jewel orchids published in Orchids magazine. It was written Leon Glicenstein PhD. In part 1 of the series, he writes

"Jewel orchids do best with good air circulation. I have grown them in sphagnum moss, repot every year or you might rot the plants as the moss ages and compacts. The medium I like best uses a seedling bark mix with bark, coarse perlite and charcoal (2:1:1). To two parts seedling bark mix add one part Promix HP (Promix with added perlite). If you can’t get Promix you can use African violet mix with 1/3 more coarse perlite. I like plastic pots for these plants because they usually dry out more slowly than clay pots. Since the medium should be changed at least every two years, keep the pots small relative to the size of the plant. Do not pot more than 2 inches (5 cm) deep of medium. You want the medium to have excellent drainage and not stay too wet. Plant with the stemlike rhizome at or just under the soil mix. Keep them evenly moist, but not sopping we, as this will cause the plant to rot. You can cut back the water when the plants are not actively growing during the winter, but they should never dry out. Most of all jewel orchids can be grown in terrariums and under artificial light, but they do require air circulation."

**************

I can add to this that they seem to need a temperature range of 75 to 85 degrees F during the day. 55-60 F at night. They are sensitive to salt buildup, so fertilize only during the growing season (spring to early fall). I alternate no fertilizer / fertilizer when I water. In a terrarium, water with extreme care, and watch humidity level. They need some air, and I don’t let the glass fog. Mine seem to be doing well in an open top terrarium. It’s extremely easy to overwater in a closed environment.

I hope this helps!

Jan

My absolute favourite has to be the Venus Fly Trap! They don't do so well out in the open way up here, which makes them the perfect terrarium plants! That little one in the photo there is mine, and it has grown into a huge monster that just can't get enough houseflies ;-)