However there are plenty of other options if you want to add interest to your space. The variegatum cultivar produces green foliage with white bands. Prefers a warm, humid environment with bright indirect light. Another good choice is the dainty Venus hair fern or southern maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris). Creeping Fig: A dwarf variety of this tree-like plant can look like a tiny forest inside your terrarium. This fast-growing plant can easily take over a terrarium and should be pruned and trimmed back … Just make sure that you don’t overwater. The gold dust croton, for instance, is one of the narrow-leaved varieties that will have various amounts of gold, depending on the cultivar. Doing best in full or partial shade, like ferns, spike moss commonly grows on the damp rainforest floors. It is also easy to propagate by rooting the stems in water. More clumping than vining in habit, this is the choice for the sophisticated terrarium or living topiary. This makes them one of the most popular closed terrarium plants. The smallest available variety of Boston fern, the plant produces attractive arching stems and small, round leaflets. Succulents struggle in these conditions. Easy to care for, it might need to be pinched back if it gets too tall or starts to get spindly or leggy. Name: Asplenium bulbiferum. Similar to golden pothos, the polka dot plant has a vigorous growth habit. One of the most reliable closed terrarium plants, peperomia is a compact plant. This makes it an ideal plant for smaller terrariums. Provide very bright indirect light and keep evenly moist. Here are our suggestions for the best closed terrarium plants. However, miniature versions are ideal for growing in a contained environment. We recommend fittonia (nerve plants), variegated spider ferns, aquamarine plant, creeping fig, rabits foot ferns and birds nest ferns. Fast, rampant grower, easily pruned to desired size. While these are ideal for open terrariums they are not good closed terrarium plants. They also easily propagate so need to be regularly pruned. . Miniature varieties will easily fit into a small terrarium. Allowing the runners to contact the soil encourages the plant to spread, acting as ground cover. Fast and easy grower. Buy It: Potted 2.5-inch, $4.99, Josh's Frogs house plants – Creeping Fig – images : growyoursecretgarden.com Very hardy plant and can easily establish itself in a terrarium – growing quite quickly. A member of the Urticaceae family, baby’s tears thrive in warm, moist positions. A smaller variety is the dwarf cultivar, Minima. Where helpful to the reader, some posts may contain links to products. More clumping than vining in habit, this is the choice for the sophisticated terrarium or living topiary. Pilea involucrata or Moon valley pilea is so called because the texture of the foliage is thought to resemble the surface of the moon. Baby tears is a small plant with a lot of common names. Well suited to warm, humid environments, these are an attractive closed terrarium plant. As its name suggests, this type of ficus has trailing stems that can also climb up the side of your glass container. The plant is also called angel's tears, mind-your-own-business, peace-in-the-home, Pollyanna vine, mother of thousands, and the Corsican's curse. Both the Venus hair fern and the reliable delta maidenhair fern (Adiantum raddianum) are reliable closed terrarium plants. While many plants are suitable for growing in open terrariums, a closed terrarium plant must be able to cope with a specific environment. Red-veined prayer plant is a stunning plant. Prayer plants like to be warm, so do not keep your terrarium next to a cold window or in a chilly draft. Very easy to grow. The 6 Plants These Plant Influencers Really (Really!) Regular pruning helps to keep the plant’s growth habit in check. While succulents are best avoided, there are still plenty of options to choose from. It also thrives in medium or indirect light positions. Spider Plant: Chlorophytum comosum is one of the easiest houseplants to grow. If you want a flower that will last for months, the phalaenopsis orchid is a great choice. Despite what the name suggests this plant is neither a begonia or a strawberry plant. Coming in a range of colors there is plenty to choose from if you want to add a bit of color to your terrarium. This means that you will need to regularly tend the plant to prevent it from taking over. Polka dot plants seem to have a great sense of humor. The colorful nerve plant is a great way to brighten up sealed terrariums. Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila) Often used instead of ivy as a cover-up, this fast growing, trailing fig has inch-long leaves. Their fast growth habit means that you will need to regularly prune the plant to prevent it from dominating a space. The plant’s fascinating foliage comes in a range of variegated colors and patterns. Despite the name spike moss (Selaginella) is not actually a moss. Be warned, baby’s tears is not only a fast growing plant it is also able to reproduce asexually. Just make sure that, when planting, you center the plant so that it doesn’t touch the glass. The terrarium plants listed here are so easy to grow that even a complete novice can have success. Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila) This creeping fig is ideal for enclosed terrariums because it loves warm, moist conditions and has small leaves. Another fern suitable for a closed terrarium is maidenhair fern or Adiantum. 99 Added to Cart Failed to add an item to cart. Larger, or quickly growing plants need to be kept in check with regular pruning. A compact pair of garden scissors is ideal for the job. Golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a climbing plant. The creeping fig is a true terrarium staple thanks to it’s miniature size, easy care and prolific growth habits. The cultivars Curly and Dorty are both slower to grow than other varieties. The curse may be referring to the fact that, given the right conditions, baby's tears can be seriously invasive, taking over whole gardens. They are also a great way to add structure to a planting scheme. They are called artillery ferns because it shoots its seeds with a popping sound—and sometimes quite a distance. I wanted the Creeping Fig to blanket the bottom of the terrarium and it did. If you fail to keep a plant’s growth habit under control it will quickly spread, smothering other plants and completely dominating the space. May 21, 2015 - The creeping fig is also known as the climbing fig which is primarily grown outdoors as a climbing vine. The starfish plant is another favorite of mine. As long as you keep the foliage dry the humidity won’t affect the African violet. Other cultivars, such as silver threads, produce green foliage with silver veining. MAKE A LAYER OF SPHAGNUM MOSS. However, the ficus pumila is also grown as … Happiest in humid, low light positions, this is an ideal closed terrarium plant. Peperomias originate in the tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America. Obviously if you have a large container, you can choose slightly larger varieties. Moisten the potting soil lightly before planting, then mist after planting to settle the soil. They also don’t grow roots. It’s also one of the smallest members of the ficus family. This Oak Leaf Creeping Fig has been growing for quite awhile, however you can see how much it fills in the background. The key to healthy growth is to provide as much warm, humid air as possible, plenty of even moisture, and bright light but not direct sunlight. For larger varieties, regular pruning or pinching out helps to keep the ferns neat and their growth habit in check. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. In a terrarium, it will behave itself quite well and is a lovely, low-growing plant. However they are also versatile, happily growing in a range of conditions including closed terrariums.