Small terrarium plants

The classic closed-terrarium plant. Bright leaf veins, loves humidity, dramatically wilts if it dries out (and perks back up fast).

Baby's Tears

Soleirolia soleirolii

A dense mat of tiny leaves that spreads into a living green carpet. Needs constant moisture — perfect for a sealed jar.

Spikemoss

Selaginella kraussiana

Feathery, fern-like ground cover. One of the few plants that genuinely needs sealed humidity to look its best.

Pilea Depressa

Pilea depressa

Tiny round leaves on delicate trailing stems. Fast-growing filler that softens edges beautifully.

Lemon Button Fern

Nephrolepis cordifolia "Duffii"

A compact, forgiving fern with a faint lemon scent. Much easier than most ferns and stays small.

Button Fern

Pellaea rotundifolia

Round, leathery leaflets along arching stems. Tolerates a bit more airflow than most ferns.

Flame Violet

Episcia cupreata

Textured coppery foliage plus little red-orange flowers. Sends out runners like a strawberry.

Cushion Moss

Leucobryum glaucum

Domed, pillowy mounds of moss. The quickest way to make a terrarium feel like a tiny forest floor.

Sheet Moss

Hypnum sp.

Flat-growing moss that drapes over soil and stone. Great for covering bare substrate quickly.

String of Turtles

Peperomia prostrata

Tiny patterned leaves like little turtle shells on fine trailing stems. Slow but very charming.

Emerald Ripple Peperomia

Peperomia caperata

Deeply textured, rippled leaves in a tidy mound. Semi-succulent, so it copes with either environment.

Polka Dot Plant

Hypoestes phyllostachya

Splashy pink, red or white speckled leaves for instant colour. Pinch the tips to stop it getting leggy.

Earth Star

Cryptanthus bivittatus

A star-shaped bromeliad in striped pinks and bronzes. Stays put, wants good light, and adds bold structure.

Zebra Haworthia

Haworthiopsis attenuata

A tough striped succulent. Wants a dry, open, well-drained setup — it will rot fast in a sealed jar.

Echeveria

Echeveria elegans

Sculptural pastel rosettes. Needs bright light and dry air — strictly open terrariums and sandy mixes.

String of Pearls

Curio rowleyanus

Strands of little green beads that spill over the rim. A succulent, so keep it in dry, open conditions.

Air Plant

Tillandsia ionantha

Grows with no soil at all — just perch it on wood or stone. Must dry out fully between mists, so open only.

Pincushion Cactus

Mammillaria sp.

A small globe cactus, sometimes with a ring of flowers. Needs full airflow and gritty soil — never sealed.

Hens and Chicks

Sempervivum tectorum

Hardy rosettes that pup freely into clusters. Loves it dry and bright — an easy open-terrarium succulent.

Gasteria

Gasteria bicolor

Tongue-shaped speckled leaves. More shade-tolerant than most succulents, but still wants dry, open air.

Watermelon Peperomia

Peperomia argyreia

Iconic teardrop leaves striped silver and green like watermelon rind, on deep-red stems. Semi-succulent, so it copes with either setup.

African Violet (mini)

Saintpaulia ionantha

One of the few terrarium plants that flowers reliably — velvety leaves and clusters of purple, pink or white blooms. Keep water off the crown.

Aluminium Plant

Pilea cadierei

Dark leaves splashed with metallic silver. Bushy and quick-growing — pinch the tips to keep it compact.

Peacock Spikemoss

Selaginella uncinata

Feathery fronds with an iridescent blue-green shimmer. Needs constant sealed humidity or it quickly crisps up.

Venus Flytrap

Dionaea muscipula

The famous snapping traps. Wants an open setup with airflow to catch prey, lots of light, nutrient-poor soil, rain or distilled water — and a cool winter rest.

Sundew

Drosera adelae

Strappy leaves covered in glistening sticky dew that traps fungus gnats. The most terrarium-tolerant carnivore — just use distilled water and no feed.

Neoregelia 'Fireball'

Neoregelia "Fireball"

A compact bromeliad that blushes fiery red in good light. The go-to vivarium bromeliad — stays small and pups into clusters.

Purple Shamrock

Oxalis triangularis

Deep-purple triangular leaves that fold up at night, with dainty pale-pink flowers. Grows from bulbs and bounces back even if it dies down.

Velvet-Leaf Philodendron

Philodendron hederaceum "Micans"

Heart-shaped leaves with a velvety, iridescent bronze-green sheen. An easy trailing aroid — pinch it back to keep it compact.

Eyelash Begonia

Begonia bowerae

Small leaves edged with fine "eyelash" hairs and chocolate markings. A humidity-lover — keep water off the crown.

Burro's Tail

Sedum morganianum

Ropes of plump, overlapping blue-green beads that spill over the rim. Keep it dry, bright and open — the beads drop if knocked.

Elephant Bush

Portulacaria afra

Tiny round jade-like leaves on red stems. A fast, forgiving succulent for dry open setups — an easier alternative to a jade plant.

Marcgravia

A shingling climber that presses flat against hardscape and glass in neat overlapping leaves. Needs constant high humidity — a closed-terrarium specialist.

Bolbitis

Bolbitis heteroclita "Difformis"

A finely-cut, feathery fern that stays compact and can be grown epiphytically on wood. Wants the steady humidity of a closed setup.