The plants that actually belong under glass.

FloraVessa is a small, independent guide to the plants that thrive inside terrariums. There are endless "best houseplant" lists online, but very few tell you the one thing that actually decides whether a plant lives or dies in a jar: whether it wants a sealed, humid (closed) home or an airy, dry (open) one.

So that's what we lead with. Every one of our 45 plants is tagged by the two things that matter most when you're choosing: the type of terrarium it suits (33 work in closed setups, 26 in open ones) and the size of terrarium it's happy in — from a small bottle to a large, tall build. No jargon, no guesswork.

FloraVessa is researched, written and maintained by Paul Reaney. You can also find our plant pins on Pinterest.

How we choose

Every plant on the list is here because it's a genuinely good terrarium candidate — small-leaved, well-behaved, and matched to the right environment. We research each one, note how forgiving it is for beginners, and flag the common traps (like putting a succulent in a sealed jar, where it will quickly rot).

Honest by default

Over time we’ll add recommended plants, kits and supplies with affiliate links. If we earn a small commission it's at no extra cost to you, and it never changes what we recommend — we only point to things we'd genuinely suggest to a friend starting their first terrarium.