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True Terrestrials for Forest Floor Terrariums
This thread will explore plant selection possibilities for Forest Floor Terrariums, an apparently novel way to grow terrarium plants that uses a false bottom assembly with removable planters. Here is a quick picture to show how the assembly parts go together in a tank.
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With more plants, natural features like stones of logs and a layer of leaf litter to cover the, the resulting display can have a convincing, natural look.
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I am proposing this idea as a more or less new kind of system, or refinement of some existing methods, but it seems that it creates an effect more like the very traditional kind of terrarium that has media covering the bottom and with plants.
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The general kind of terrarium or vivarium that has become so popular with dart frog enthusiasts and other herp hobbyists in more recent years, on the other hand, has a more vertical orientation and tends to make use of epiphytic plants.
There are already some terrestrial groups of plants used frequently in vivariums, but it appears as though the Forest Floor Terrarium concept might be an appealing way to explore new potential selections. There are some really fantastic tropical plant groups which are primarily terrestrial and which have been used very little in terrariums.
I intend to suggest a list of plant groups, then return to this thread with observations about each including sources, especially good species/varieties, biotope information and potential uses in terrariums.
I'd like to start out with the following list of considerations that I think are important for selection for this proposed use:
The next list includes the plant groups (grouped taxonimically or with other associations) that seem to be especially promising for use in Forest Floor Terrariums:
This thread will explore plant selection possibilities for Forest Floor Terrariums, an apparently novel way to grow terrarium plants that uses a false bottom assembly with removable planters. Here is a quick picture to show how the assembly parts go together in a tank.
With more plants, natural features like stones of logs and a layer of leaf litter to cover the, the resulting display can have a convincing, natural look.
I am proposing this idea as a more or less new kind of system, or refinement of some existing methods, but it seems that it creates an effect more like the very traditional kind of terrarium that has media covering the bottom and with plants.
The general kind of terrarium or vivarium that has become so popular with dart frog enthusiasts and other herp hobbyists in more recent years, on the other hand, has a more vertical orientation and tends to make use of epiphytic plants.
There are already some terrestrial groups of plants used frequently in vivariums, but it appears as though the Forest Floor Terrarium concept might be an appealing way to explore new potential selections. There are some really fantastic tropical plant groups which are primarily terrestrial and which have been used very little in terrariums.
I intend to suggest a list of plant groups, then return to this thread with observations about each including sources, especially good species/varieties, biotope information and potential uses in terrariums.
I'd like to start out with the following list of considerations that I think are important for selection for this proposed use:
- Size - some plants will grow much too large to keep in a terrarium, while certain large-growing plants might be managed in various ways to control size.
- Compatibility with livestock
- Growth habit - and use in visual design of terrarium
- Selection as true tropical forest floor plants - as opposed to plants that grow as lithophytes, epiphytes or with other habitat associations.
- Cultural requirements - and compatibility with terrarium conditions.
- Biotope associations - plants or groups of plants characteristic of different regions and use in creating true biotope terrarium displays.
The next list includes the plant groups (grouped taxonimically or with other associations) that seem to be especially promising for use in Forest Floor Terrariums:
- Palms (Family Araceae)
- Aroids (Family Arecaceae)
- Gingers (Family Zingiberaceae)
- Trees - especially Ficus, Clusea and other horticulturally-available plants.
- Shrubs - certain tropical woody shrubs with appealing characteristics (e.g., Melosotamataceae)
- Prayer Plants (Family Marantaceae)
- Terrestrial orchids (e.g., Paphiopedilum)
- Tropical flowering bulbs (e.g., Griffinia, Hippeastrum)
- Ferns - (true terrestrials e.g., Blechnum)
- Begonia - more unusual, true species plants with upright growth habits
