Discover the Best Terrarium Plants to bring a dash of greenery indoors without investing a lot of energy and time in maintaining them!
Terrarium plants are slow-growing that can be easily housed in a glass vessel giving your indoors a green aquarium-like look. Their low-maintenance nature and small size make them a unique addition to indoor gardening, earning them a place in the Best Terrarium Plants!
Best Terrarium Plants
1. Air Plants
Botanical Name: Tillandsia
These Terrarium plants don’t need soil to thrive as they attach themselves to any host while absorbing water and nutrients through their leaves. These plants are known to add a pretty addition to a terrarium and are beneficial due to their air purifying quality.
Growing tip: This plant prefers an open terrarium, so it does not get excess humidity.
2. African Violets
Botanical Name: Saintpaulia ionantha
This attractive terrarium plant is a compact flowering plant, which makes it look gorgeous in a glass jar. African violet thrives in bright, warm, and humid conditions. These plants prefer a terrarium temperature between 16 to 30 degrees Celsius. While taking care of the plant, ensure the water drains into the gravel you have put in the jar beneath the plant.
Growing tip: Ensure that this plant doesn’t touch the sides of the terrarium. In that case, water will collect on its leaves and blooms, resulting in rot.
3. Nerve Plant
Botanical Name: Fittonia albivenis
Nerve plant is a beautiful tropical plant that grows well as a terrarium plant. This slow-growing plant grows well in a closed terrarium as it loves humidity and warmth. It looks beautiful with white and red flowers with colorful veined leaves.
Growing tip: Constant moisture is important for this plant, or it can die.
4. Sphagnum Moss
Botanical Name: Sphagnum capillifolium
Sphagnum moss is a favorite among gardeners as a terrarium plant. Due to their ornamental nature, these are found in every house of a terrarium gardening enthusiast. This moss goes well in both open and closed terrariums. Water the moss frequently so it can thrive continuously with its sage green color.
Growing tip: Water it lightly at least once a week.
5. Hens and Chicks
Botancial Name: Sempervivum tectorum
This Succulent is one of the best plants for an open terrarium. These are small in size, so you don’t have to find a new jar soon to transplant it making it a low-maintenance plant in this category. Hens and Chicks are the best succulents for an open terrarium because of their small rosettes and offshoots.
Growing tip: This is a drought-tolerant plant so let it dry out between watering.
6. Croton
Botanical Name: Codiaeum variegatum
This terrarium plant adds a unique texture to the indoors due to its shiny, thick leaves. These leaves come in amazing shapes and colors of Green, gold, and salmon foliage. The gold dust croton type is a narrow-leaved variety with different amounts of golden dust on its leaves. This terrarium plant is known to grow well in open-jar terrariums.
Growing tip: Place this plant under bright indirect light for maximum growth.
7. Creeping Fig
Botanical Name: Ficus primula
Creeping Fig is a perennial climbing vine, so you can train it to creep up structures making it the best terrarium plant for large terrariums. It looks beautiful indoors with its small, heart-shaped leaves, making it a beautiful addition to indoor gardening. These plants grow well in a warm, moist environment and prefer a closed terrarium.
Growing tip: You can easily propagate creeping figs by rooting a branch-cutting in water.
8. Button Fern
Botanical Name: Pellaea rotundifolia
Button Fern is another terrarium plant that looks amazing with its mop-headed shape. This plant is native to New Zealand and is well-known as a hardy and drought-tolerant. Well suited for an open terrarium, It comes with Green foliage and can tolerate dry soil.
Growing tip: Since it can tolerate dry soil, watering it weekly is enough for it to thrive
9. Baby Tears
Botanical Name: Soleirolia soleirolii
Baby Tears is an aggressive plant that can spread to a large space in a short span of time. This is the trait that makes this plant a perfect fit for a closed terrarium since, in a closed terrarium, its growth can be kept in check. These go by various names like angel’s tears, peace-in-the-home, Pollyanna vine, mother of thousands, and others. These plants look good with their green foliage and creamy ivory flowers.
Growing tip: Place this plant under bright light and water it consistently to keep it moist.
10. Peperomia
Botanical Name: Peperomia caperata
These plants come in different types and are commonly known to have all green leaves or leaves with some red tint. These grow slowly, making them a fit for closed terrariums. Peperomia grows well in a warm and humid environment.
Growing tip: Avoid overwatering this plant, as these grow well with little watering.
11. Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum
This plant looks fabulous in a terrarium its care is very easy. These plants thrive in a wide range of environments and do well in bright, indirect light as well as low light. It grows green leaves with white markings that make the indoors look great.
Growing tip: Avoid over-watering this plant and place it in indirect sunlight.
12. Prayer Plant
Botanical Name: Maranta leuconeura
The prayer plant is a stunning plant with uniquely marked leaves. This plant got its name because it folds up its leaves at night as if humbling itself in prayer. Prayer plants thrive in greenhouse-like conditions, so a closed terrarium with warm conditions is best suited for it. Place this plant under indirect sunlight and water it regularly in spring and summer.
Growing tips: Ensure that this gets enough light otherwise, the leaves will stay folded even during the daytime.
Read everything about growing echeveria pulidonis indoors
