What Kind of Plants to Go in Closed Terrarium
At times, you just feel as if something is lacking in your house, and you just want more living things in it to make things more lively. You feel that those pets would be troubling, hence you decided on going for plants. Maintenance for plants is less troublesome, and they can also bring in fresh air to our living space. However, one drawback is that it looks dull, hence not as favourable by the majority. This is where Terrariums come into place. Terrariums are plants that are kept in a transparent container to show their terrain inside. Not only can it be stylish, but it is also effortless to maintain. As for this, closed terrarium plants are needed!
This article will explain or discuss:
- Plants for Terrariums
- Plants for Large Glass Terrarium
- Glass Plant Terrarium Plants
To summarise, here are the types of plants we suggest;
Plants for Terrariums.
The best option to go for are plants that love warmth and humidity as a closed terrarium creates a self-sufficient micro-environment that is consistently warm and moist. If you want something which is low maintenance, go for plants that have a slow growth rate as they would remain small, meaning lower requirements for survival.
The good thing about closed terrarium plants is that you wouldn’t have to water them consistently every day due to the circulation of water vapour. All moisture is circulated as the dome traps the water vapour inside.
Without further ado, let’s dive straight into some closed terrarium plants.
Peperomias
One candidate for closed terrarium plants would be the Peperomias. It is a small and compact plant that would usually grow epiphytically on rotting wood as their natural habitat. They typically do not grow any higher than 12 inches. This plant can generally be found in subtropical and tropical areas of Central and South America.
Like any other tropical rainforest plants, they thrive for lighting conditions with bright to indirect sunlight. This is due to the wide sized and thick leaves which it has.
There are a few species of Peperomias. However, one of the most popular ones would be the Emerald Ripple Peperomia, which is able to grow to as short as 3-6 inches. The plant’s attraction point would be its heart-shaped leaves which appear to be emerald green with ripples. This brings a unique variety of texture to the terrarium.
Nerve Plant
The Nerve Plant are really colourful plants that can be found on the beds of tropical rainforests in Peru and Colombia. They have leaves that brings a slight purple touch to their green. It enjoys warm temperatures and high humidity with partial to full shade. Due to how compact and dwarf this species is, it is a popular selection for closed terrarium plants as they serve as quite a striking focal point.
This closed terrarium plant has various names such as mosaic plant and painted net leaf as they have a really striking midrib and vein. The bright red coloured veins are not to be seen on other plants such as this commonly. Sometimes if you are lucky enough, come across one which has a large bright red pattern on it. Unlike other plants, which are usually bright greenish, the Nerve Plant brings a rather deep green to it.
Mosses
For anyone who may be considering making a small closed terrarium, mosses would indeed have crossed your mind. One of the most favourable closed terrarium plants are mosses. They are a commonly used plant and appear to be the plant that makes the terrarium look more lively. Mosses are nonvascular plants, which means they don’t have specialized tissues like other plants for delivering water and nutrients, hence the lack of roots as well.
However, these small closed terrarium plants would need to be in an environment that is always humid and moist. This is due to the unique character of the plant, which has only a layer of cells. As mosses primarily absorb water through their leaves, a consistent water amount has to be circulated in the terrarium.
Most people use mosses for ground cover in closed terrariums. This is due to how little space it needs for them to survive. They require very low maintenance and can live in weaker living conditions. As they are very slow growers, some people don’t even put in the effort or barely even realize the need to maintain them. In a confined place such as a closed terrarium, Moses would surely make things more lively in the dome of plants.
Small Ferns
Ferns are plummy and well suited for warm and moist environments of a closed terrain. This makes them an excellent option for creating a natural greenhouse. Of course, not all ferns are suitable to be closed terrarium plants; hence you should look for ferns with a low growth rate, mainly between 6-12 inches when they hit maturity.
If you are looking for the best fern for closed terrariums, we would suggest going for the lemon button fern. This adorable little plant is the smallest of the smallest ferns. One unique feature about it is its small and round leaflets. It would instead make your terrarium cute, depending on how you position it.
Baby Tears
As the name suggests, this plant contains leaves so small and compact that they look like baby tears, hence its name. It is a ground cover plant that loves moisture and warmth with medium to bright sunlight. Unlike those previously mentioned, this plant, however, grows at a relatively fast rate which is capable of vegetation propagation. This means it can reproduce asexually using parts of the existing plant.
Creeping Fig
One of our last plants on the list that could be fit in your closed terrarium is the Creeping Fig. It is a small fucus that hails from tropical East Asia. It appears to be a good ground cover for your closed terrariums. It leaves in warm and moist environments. The unique trait about this plant is the latex glue that it secretes, allowing it to cling to other objects as supports. If you are looking to add a vine texture to your terrarium, this would be a good option.
Plants For Large Glass Terrarium
If I were to conclude which plants are best for large glass terrariums, I would suggest Pileas, Nerve Plant and small ferns. These plants are typically larger, which is more suitable for large glass terrariums as it stands out more. The unique purple on nerve plants is able to add a unique colour to it while Pileas increases the detail of the overall image of your terrarium. Now, all there’s left are the small ferns. Usually, ferns will grow up to a certain extent. However, for small ferns, they don’t reach as tall as normal ferns too when they hit maturity. With these, the overall proportions of your terrarium will be better.
Plants for Glass Plant Terrarium
In this case, glass terrariums are rather small in size, hence any big plants such as ferns will definitely not be suitable for it. So, are there any smaller plants?
Definitely! Some of those mentioned are mosses and baby tears. These plants are rather small in sizes and are easy to manage. You may argue that Moses isn’t really a plant, however, if you care for them correctly, they will be able to come out beautifully. The same goes for baby tears. Baby tears have really small leaves. If you get a little more creative, you may be able to make a miniature town in your terrarium. Baby tears are perfect for replacing real trees. The small leaves will be able to act as a shade for them.
Conclusion
Hopefully, through this, you can find closed terrarium plants that are best suited for you. Of course, there are many other plants that may be suitable for closed terrariums; however, the ones mentioned are some of which we think would be easy to manage.
