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15 Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home

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There’s no doubt about the attraction if you call a small plant among the best terrarium plants. A few leaves simply growing in a glass container can create a more beautiful home.

They are also well known to provide much cleaner air as they filter out toxins and pollutants in the atmosphere. Like what most find enticing, these are low or minimal-maintenance plants.

Terrarium plants are grown from either an open or sealed container, usually made of glass and acrylic or plexiglass. Some plants grow better in a sealed jar, while others must be sown in an open container.

This depends on the type of plants you choose. Generally, succulents and foliage plants are the best options as they grow slowly and require little maintenance, including a healthy amount of water to just moist naturally produced within the container.

Anyway, you surely want to know specific plants to place in a glass jar. If you cannot be more excited to hang a pair or more, here is a list of the best terrarium plants.

Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home

1. Air Plants

Air Plants Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home
Botanical Name: Tillandsia – via Pxhere

As its name suggests, an air plant is a good purifier. This is small but has long spidery leaves that almost look like a cactus from a short distance.

It is self-sufficient as it’s able to absorb nutrients and water right from its leaves. It is no question this would be a great pick. You can grow in a glass bowl or a hanging jar.

2. Baby’s Tears

Babys Tears Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home
Botanical Name: Soleirolia Soleirolii – via Flickr

Also known as angel’s tears, peace in the home, mother of thousands, and pollyanna vine, baby’s tears have their unique mark, which is the very tiny round leaves.

This makes the terrarium a good ground cover. It can also be mixed with other plants. You can definitely place two to three other plants based on your liking.

In terms of maintenance, this plant requires pruning regularly. It grows in bright light and a little amount of water or consistent moisture. If taken well properly, the creamy ivory-colored flowers appear over time.

3. Bonsai

Bonsai is popularly known for its cute, small size. This plant is typically classified as a tree as it has parts similar to a regular tree.

There’s a wide range of species of this plant, some can be a bit larger than what people expect. But if you want to add this to your collection of the best terrarium plants, go for the tropical species. Most thrive well in a closed container.

4. Button Ferns

Button Ferns Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home
Botanical Name: Pallaea Rotundifolia – via Wikimedia

One example of foliage that can be grown in a terrarium is the button fern. It features round, green and leather leaves. Moreover, this is drought tolerant, making it an excellent indoor plant.

However, it must be watered once a week and placed in a spot where it can get full sun by the window or artificial light

5. Cacti

Cacti Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home
Botanical Name: Cactaceae – via Pxhere

Cactus is a very common plant worldwide. When it comes to the best terrarium plants, this is undoubtedly among the first picks. You can choose almost any species as there are hundreds if not dozens to select from. While it requires very minimal water, this plant needs good, regular airflow. It also thrives in low humidity. These are the reasons why it’s well suited in an open glass container. Like other terrarium plants, you may mix a couple or more species in one glass.

6. Jade Plant

Botanical Name: Crassula Ovata
Botanical Name: Crassula Ovata – via Pxhere

Another popular pick among the best terrarium plants is the jade plant. It has glossy, light green, clover-shaped, hard leaves. With the thickness of its leaves, this plant can survive with a small amount of water. Make sure that it is watered once the topsoil is starting to dry.

7. Moss

Moss Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home
Botanical Name: Bryophyta – via Flickr

Mosses complete the landscape of a terrarium as these are mainly ground cover. These are a type of non-vascular plant that is known for their furry feature.

One of the benefits of adding some moss to your glass jar is its low maintenance. It only requires low light and a minimal amount of water. This can survive in closed containers since it is a slow-growing plant.

8. Nerve Plants

Nerve Plants Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home
Botanical Name: Fittonia – via Flickr

Nerve plants make a beautiful decoration on tables, shelves, walls, and even ceilings. The striking “nerves” on the leaves add a twist to the common greens in a terrarium.

Since it prefers warm temperature with high humidity, this is included among the best terrarium plants. It grows well in almost any spot as it thrives with partial or full shade.

9. Orchids

Orchids Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home
Botanical Name: Orchidaceae – via Pixabay

The small species of colorful orchids are beautiful blooms to add to the terrarium. Generally, this plant is easy to grow and maintain. It needs warm temperature and humidity as well as water. Whether you use an open or closed glass jar, miniature orchids become an obvious feature of your collection.

10. Peperomia

Peperomia Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home
Botanical Name: Peperomia Pellucida – via Pxhere

Peperomia is a typical home plant due to its compact size and structure of the leaves. This tropical, low-growing plant also makes a good terrarium plant.

What makes this identifiable is the shape and appearance of its leaves, which are commonly glossy dark green, some with red or white features. It thrives well in humid conditions but still requires some water.

11. Polka Dot Plant

Polka Dot Plant Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home
Botanical Name: Hypoestes Phyllostachya

The polka dot patterns of this plant deserve to be among the best terrarium plants. Its green leaves showcase white, silver, red, pink, or purple spots, making it an attractive addition to your interior.

This plant loves moisture and warmth. It has to be placed in bright, indirect light so the leaves won’t easily turn brown or die. During summer and spring, regular watering is required, while less amount is needed at most times.

12. Prayer Plant

Prayer Plant Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home
Botanical Name: Maranta Leuconeura – via Wikimedia

There are different species of prayer plants, but unilaterally known for their unique pattern on the leaves. This type of plant is typically large for terrarium but the smaller species can add delight to your collection.

For it to survive, maintain it with regular watering, especially in the summer and spring months. Avoid too much light as it prefers indirect light or partial shade.

Its name is due to the fact that the leaves fold up at night like when hands are folded during prayer. If the leaves remain folded the next day, then the plant is most likely dying. This happens when there is not enough light or water.

13. Strawberry Begonia

Strawberry Begonia Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home
Botanical Name: Saxifraga Stolonifera – via Wikimedia

Strawberry begonia has hairy and fan-shaped leaves. What makes this a great choice among the best terrarium plants is its cute size. It grows up to 8 inches only. It also produces small, white, star-like flowers.

14. Succulents

Succulents Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home
via Pixabay

Succulents are popular small, indoor plants mainly because of their cute appearance that can easily turn heads. These are beautiful decorations on tables and shelves. They can live for a long time with little maintenance.

The foliage is usually thick and fleshy, which requires a minimal amount of water. Some people like to collect different species of succulents as there’s an array of shapes and remarkable features.

15. Venus Flytrap

Venus Flytrap Best Terrarium Plants for Your Home
Botanical Name: Dionaea Muscipula – via Pixabay

Venus flytrap has a creepy but attractive look that can surely stand out among the best terrarium plants. It literally traps flies and other small insects.

The leaves are so unique that they look like the mouth of a creature. This plant prefers humid conditions but needs full sun and some moistness.


Conclusion

It can be fun to place different terrarium plants in a container, either small or larger. You can even be more creative by adding some white or pink sand, miniature architectural designs like a bench or the character Groot.

From the time of sowing to the growing period, there’s a joy that this brings, whether you consider it as a hobby or a passion.

With the list of the best terrarium plants above, you can easily determine which ones can be grown in your house. Since they all are easy to grow and maintain, your options are narrowed down and can be based on your personal preference.