# Terrarium plant reference

Reviewed 2026-10-16. 56 records in 12 functional groups, supported by 61 linked references. Open [plants.html](plants.html), or search plants, mosses and animals together in [index.html](index.html).

## Scope and how entries are chosen

The aim is useful coverage for specimen curiosity and enclosure planning, without an entry-count quota. Include a plant when reviewed evidence adds a distinct growing role, commonly encountered specimen or useful purchase comparison. Do not split ordinary color forms into fictitious extra species. Add a cultivar only when the actual label and relevant care/size evidence are available.

The catalog contains rooted foliage, creeping groundcovers, ferns, lycophytes, vines, begonias, gesneriads, bromeliads, orchids, carnivores and wet-margin plants. Dry-habitat and oversized plants are labelled comparisons, because a small nursery pot often gives a misleading impression. This is representative coverage, not an exhaustive flora. Coverage gaps are recorded in plant_coverage and shown in the reader.

## Read facts and planning inferences separately

care_summary_source, propagation_source, growth_rate_source and source_dimensions describe the linked references. plant_claims links these individual fields to a source, locator and evidence scope. NC State dimension fields describe general horticultural growth; they are not measurements from a terrarium trial. Repeated shared care profiles and all placement, maintenance and selection tags are planning inferences. No live cultivation trial or animal-compatibility experiment was performed.

Species horticulture, genus guidance and a grower’s experience are different evidence scopes. A retailer’s shipped pot size is not mature size. A published article mentioning terrariums is not proof of indefinite success in a sealed jar. Some references use older names or conflicting taxonomy; the record and aliases preserve those differences rather than silently treating every spelling as accepted.

## Size and numerical values

Published height/spread are converted from stated feet and inches to centimeters using 2.54 cm per inch. Original dimensions and context remain available. These fields are not minimum enclosure dimensions. Where the source gives only an example, a trailing length, an unspecified size axis or conflicting dimensions, the uncertain numerical fields stay null. Unknown values are blank in CSV and null in JSON/SQLite, never zero.

Examples of explicit source conflicts: pothos has inconsistent inch/foot height statements; heartleaf philodendron has differing maxima; string of turtles has trailing length presented as height; Procris repens has differing spread claims. Anubias aquarium values after two months are not mature emersed measurements. None of these is silently selected to make a plant fit a small box.

The height filter excludes unknown heights. Even a short plant may spread widely, climb or produce tall flower spikes. Check spread, growth rate and the size notes after filtering. No universal lux, PAR, humidity percentage, pH, temperature optimum or watering schedule has been invented. Indoor light tags are qualitative; outdoor sun categories do not translate into safe direct sun through terrarium glass.

## Choose a compatible planting system

1. Establish the enclosure’s light, temperature, air exchange, root-zone moisture and available growing space. If animals will live there, their needs take priority over the planting aesthetic.
2. Choose a coherent moisture system. Humid air does not imply saturated roots. A mounted epiphyte, wet-bank rhizome, terrestrial jewel orchid, dry succulent and seasonal butterwort cannot be assigned one generic substrate/watering recipe.
3. Match mature growth form and maintenance access. Keep vigorous vines and runners away from slow miniature plants, retain space for foliage/flower stalks, and plan where trimmings or divisions will go.
4. Use lawful cultivated stock with exact label and known pesticide/treatment history. Source suggestions about tissue culture describe plant sourcing; tissue culture alone does not certify animal safety or absence of every contaminant.
5. Acclimate a small division before committing the whole culture. Transition from submerged to emerged leaves or from household air to high humidity gradually and observe new growth. Maintain a separate backup for unusual plants.
6. Observe the actual root zone and leaves instead of following an unqualified weekly watering schedule. Remove rot and investigate light, roots, temperature and airflow before changing several conditions together.

## Specialist exceptions

- Miniature orchids can still need specific drying intervals, light and temperature changes. Airflow that suits one mount can dry another plant too quickly. Jewel orchids are terrestrial plants with different roots from many mounted orchids.
- Cryptanthus is a terrestrial bromeliad; it does not inherit a tank Neoregelia watering method. Tillandsia needs real watering and suitable drying, despite the air-plant name.
- Carnivores require species-specific water, nutrition and seasonal plans. Mexican butterworts are not generic bog plants. Queensland rainforest sundews differ in heat tolerance. Strong-light flytrap culture does not translate into a shaded warm bottle garden. The ICPS describes continuous indoor flytrap growth under a specific regime, so a universal forced-refrigeration rule is not asserted.
- Wet-margin plants and emersed rheophytes need defined waterline/air conditions; they are not automatically suited to permanent full immersion. Keep Anubias/Bucephalandra rhizomes exposed.
- Dry open-container comparisons need actual drainage, light and drying. An open lid does not solve water trapped beneath a succulent.

## Animals and plant chemistry

No plant has been marked universally safe for terrarium animals. Horticultural success, common use with frogs, absence of a toxicity warning, or a cat/dog listing does not establish safety for every frog, reptile, snail, isopod or herbivorous insect. This catalog is not a feeding list. Investigate the animal, exposure route, pesticides and intended use separately. Plant fertilizer or disease-treatment advice must not be applied automatically in an inhabited enclosure.

## Files and tables

- plants.json and plants.csv: plant records, with sources/profiles/claims/aliases/coverage in JSON.
- plant_sources.csv, plant_claims.csv, plant_aliases.csv, plant_profiles.csv and plant_coverage.csv: supporting exports.
- mosses.sqlite: plants, plant_sources, plant_record_sources, plant_profiles, plant_claims, plant_aliases and plant_coverage alongside existing moss and animal data.
- reference_catalog: a cross-domain navigation view, not a compatibility view.
- plant_validation.json: build counts and integrity results.
- Existing moss photographs remain unchanged. Plant reference photos are available through source links; plant images are not bundled.

## SQL examples

```sql
-- Browse all specimen domains with a link to each reader entry.
SELECT domain, scientific_name, reader_url FROM reference_catalog
WHERE lower(scientific_name) LIKE '%selaginella%';

-- Research small published heights; still inspect spread and growth form.
SELECT scientific_name, published_height_max_cm, published_spread_max_cm,
       mature_size_notes, selection_status
FROM plants_with_reported_small_height;

-- Find plants to investigate for a humid mounted surface.
SELECT scientific_name, care_summary_source, placement_inferred
FROM plants WHERE enclosure_system = 'Mounted humid';

-- Inspect a claim's actual source and scope.
SELECT p.scientific_name, c.field, c.value, s.title, s.url, c.evidence_scope
FROM plant_claims c JOIN plants p USING(plant_id)
JOIN plant_sources s USING(source_id)
WHERE p.scientific_name = 'Fittonia albivenis';

-- See areas needing further research rather than assuming completeness.
SELECT * FROM plant_coverage ORDER BY plant_group;
```

## Rebuild and preserve personal data

Run python3 build_plants.py to replace only this plant reference's tables/exports and refresh the package. Other domain data and collection logs are preserved. The update is transactional; invalid references roll back. Keep a backup of a personal working database before any rebuild. A full python3 build_database.py rebuild refuses nonempty collection logs and unknown user tables. The ZIP includes the curated data, concise reference facts and all rebuild/validation scripts; it does not require network access to rebuild. Research fetch caches are not distributed.

Plant and animal identifiers are stored in plant_ids.json and animal_ids.json. Allocate a new unused identifier when adding a record; do not renumber published entries. Retired botanical spellings can map to the same identifier while aliases and source notes retain the naming history.

## General growing references

- [RHS terrariums and bottle gardens](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/houseplants/bottle-gardens-and-terrariums)
- [American Orchid Society: air movement](https://www.aos.org/air-movement)