The green part of our obsession...plants!

As you know, we've just started pushing you into all sorts of cool new hobby directions, and it's really exciting to see many hobbyists trying all sorts of new things, such as Paludariums, Ripariums, and full-blown terrariums.

Obviously, different plants require different types of environments, and it's important to get an understanding about what type of plant is appropriate in what kind of setup. My friend, Devin Biggs of Selva Terrarium, maker of "Pillbug" orchid mounts and terrarium planters, has provided me with a quick list that summarizes the different kinds of plants and setups used in the various plant related hobbies:

• Fully-aquatic plants - live mostly underwater. These are the plants grown in traditional planted aquariums.
• Marginal aquatic plants - grow in shallow water or in mud along the edge of the water. Some kinds grow on rocks in streams. Ripariums and paludariums are appropriate for these plants.
• Epiphytic plants - grow on the trunks and branches of trees, especially in tropical forests. Most orchids are epiphytes. 3D backgrounds or branch features in terrariums or vivariums often feature mounted epiphytes. Epiphytes in an orchidarium are usually planted on mounts.
• Terrestrial plants - are rooted in soil in upland (away from water) areas.

As you can see, there are many different types of plants that may be used in our displays- and many different display types from which to choose! 

 

In upcoming blogs, we'll take a look at what plants you should use in each type of system, how to grow them, and what they'll do for your system!

Stay Wet! (And green!)

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics