The plant you choose matters more than the terrarium you put it in. Pick one that suits the glass and the light and it will look after itself for months; pick the wrong one and it will sulk, stretch or rot. Here are twelve easy plants for a glass terrarium, split by the kind of terrarium they need, plus which of our terrariums suits each one.
The short answer
For an open terrarium in bright, indirect light, choose air plants, small succulents such as haworthia or echeveria, or a small cactus. For a humid, partly closed terrarium, choose moss, small ferns, fittonia or creeping fig. Nearly all our terrariums are open, so the first group is the easy place to start. Plants are not included with our terrariums, so you can choose your own.
First: open or closed?
An open terrarium lets air move freely, so the inside stays dry: right for plants that hate sitting damp. A closed or partly closed one traps humidity: right for plants from damp forest floors. Nearly every terrarium we sell is open; the two ball top terrariums close with a wooden ball stopper, so they can hold moisture for moss and ferns. Our guide to open vs closed terrariums explains the difference in more detail.
Plants for open terrariums
1. Air plants (Tillandsia ionantha)
The easiest terrarium plant there is. Small, tough and happy with no soil at all: rest it on sand or pebbles, soak it every week or two and let it dry upside down before it goes back. Our air plant care guide has the routine.
2. A showpiece air plant (Tillandsia xerographica)
A large, silvery rosette with curling leaves that makes a statement on its own in a bigger terrarium. It likes plenty of bright light and drying out well between soaks.
3. Haworthia
Small, striped and slow-growing, haworthia copes with less light than most succulents, which makes it the best succulent for a desk or a shelf a little way from the window.
4. Echeveria
Neat rosettes in soft greens, blues and pinks. Echeveria needs a bright spot close to a window and very little water; in poor light it stretches and loses its shape.
5. A small cactus
Small globe cacti such as mammillaria suit a bright windowsill and an open terrarium with a gritty base. Water rarely, and use tongs or folded paper to plant them.
6. Crassula and sedum
Small, easy succulents in upright or trailing forms. A few together over gravel and pebbles make a miniature landscape in a wider terrarium.
Plants for humid, partly closed terrariums
7. Cushion moss
Soft green domes that love humidity and shade. Living moss is happiest in a terrarium that holds moisture; preserved moss needs no care at all and works in any terrarium.
8. Fittonia (nerve plant)
Leaves veined in white, pink or red. Fittonia loves humidity and wilts dramatically when it dries out, then perks up again after a drink, which makes it easy to read.
9. Small ferns
Young ferns sold as terrarium or mini ferns bring a soft, woodland feel. They want gentle, indirect light and steady moisture, never direct sun.
10. Creeping fig (Ficus pumila)
Tiny leaves on trailing stems that weave between stones and moss. It likes humidity and needs an occasional trim to stay in proportion.
11. Small peperomias
Compact trailing varieties such as Peperomia prostrata have small, patterned leaves and need only a little water. They suit a slightly humid terrarium in indirect light.
12. Baby's tears (Soleirolia)
A carpet of tiny leaves that spreads over soil and stones. It likes moisture and gentle light, and a quick trim keeps it from taking over.
Which terrarium for which plant?
- One air plant or a small haworthia: the mini terrarium (£7.75), cube on corner (£16.95) or small diamond (£12).
- A group of air plants or a small succulent scene: the large pentagon or octagon (£19.95 each), or the large diamond (£29).
- A planted scene with soil: the large terrarium on natural tung wood (£18), about 17 x 19cm.
- Moss, ferns and fittonia: the medium ball top (£24) or extra large ball top (£45), with the wooden ball stopper in.
- An air plant on moss, or a cutting in water: the green-tinted vase terrarium in dark tung wood (£35).
Three things to avoid
- Mixing dry and damp plants. Succulents and moisture-loving plants need opposite conditions, so give each their own terrarium.
- Succulents or cacti in a closed terrarium. Trapped moisture rots them.
- Fast growers. Large houseplants outgrow a terrarium in weeks; choose small, slow plants.
Light and water, in brief
Bright, indirect light suits almost every terrarium plant; glass can magnify direct midday sun, so keep terrariums back from a hot south-facing window. Soak air plants every week or two, water succulents only when their soil is dry, and keep moss and ferns just moist. Our glass terrarium guide covers planting step by step.
Common questions
What plants are best for a terrarium?
For an open terrarium, air plants, small succulents such as haworthia and echeveria, and small cacti. For a humid one, moss, small ferns, fittonia and creeping fig.
Can you put succulents in a closed terrarium?
Not for long. Succulents need dry air and dry soil between drinks, and the trapped moisture in a closed terrarium rots them. Keep them in an open terrarium.
Do terrarium plants need sunlight?
They need light, but most prefer it bright and indirect. Glass can magnify strong midday sun and overheat the plants inside.
What is the easiest plant for a terrarium?
An air plant. It needs no soil, sits happily on sand or pebbles, and only asks for a soak every week or two.
Browse every piece in our glass terrariums collection, or read air plants vs succulents if you are still choosing.
