The 10 Best Terrarium Plants for Your Miniature Ecosystem

Whether you're a plant whisperer or a green thumb in training, you can create a terrarium that thrives in your care. Modern terrariums have fewer rules and way more options than their Victorian prequels, and they bring the same life, beauty, creativity, and wonder to your space. 

Benefits of Terrariums

Terrariums are mess-free, and closed-top terrariums make it easy to nurture plants that might not otherwise be happy inside, where heating and air conditioning keep household air drier than many tropical varieties require to thrive. Depending on your plants, you might need to water your self-sustaining ecosystem only once a month, maybe less.

A terrarium also allows you to showcase your passions and hobbies in a way that a regular houseplant cannot. "You can really interject your personality within a terrarium design," says Megan Cain, author of Modern Terrarium Studio. She helps people create living worlds in glass at The ZEN Succulent, neighborhood stores she launched in Durham and Raleigh, N.C.

Love the beach? Add shells or sand-smoothed glass you've picked up along the shoreline. Know where your grandma stashes her vintage canning jars? Pick a favorite and create a home for your own little plant world. Enjoy thrifting? Beautiful old glassware adds loads of personality to a DIY terrarium.

Choosing and Preparing a Container for a Terrarium

A container in almost any size or shape will work, whether it's from your attic, a crafts store, a tag sale, or even your recycling bin. Just make sure it's smooth and clear and has a thick rim so it's sturdy enough to hold sand, soil, and rocks without breaking. You can also find artful hanging terrarium containers online and in crafts and gift stores.

Because glass is non-porous and less likely than terra-cotta to harbor fungi or mineral deposits that can harm plants, preparing your container is not complicated. Simply run it through the dishwasher or wash by hand with dish detergent and hot water. If you have any concerns about contamination, you can follow with a solution of 1 part bleach to 15 parts water. Rinse thoroughly and allow to dry. 

How to Make a Terrarium

After you choose your container, you'll add the following ingredients in this exact order:

1. Layer of sand
2. Layer of pebbles
3. Layer of horticultural charcoal
4. Layer of soil
5. Plants

Plants will bring your terrarium to life. Great choices will thrive in the same type of environment, provide a variety of heights, and won't quickly outgrow your container. That said, some trimming and shaping are part of the joy of keeping a terrarium.

The Best Terrarium Plants

Here are some plants recommended by Cain and two other contemporary terrarium designers: Dan Jones of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, who founded a blog and online community called Terrarium Tribe, and Alyson Mowat, author of Terrariums & Kokedama and owner of London-based Alyson Mowat Studio.

Air Plants 

Native to northern Mexico, the southeastern U.S., and the Caribbean, Tillandsia plants absorb nutrients and moisture from the air. For a minimalistic terrarium, combine an air plant in glass with a bit of twisted grapevine or some lava rocks from a hardware or crafts store, says Cain.

• Light: provide bright indirect light
• Water: mist two to four times a week; daily if you live in a very dry place

Fern "Asparagus"

This feathery fern makes a good base to build your plant design around, Mowat says. Not actually a fern but a relative of the common garden asparagus, it's a bit fussy to care for. But with the right soil and care, it can thrive, "and you can almost trim it like a little bonsai tree inside your terrarium,"says Cain.

• Soil: rich, well-draining potting soil 
• Light: provide bright indirect light 
• Water: keep soil moist and mist daily

Fern "Lemon Button" or "Duffy"

All of our experts praised Nephrolepis cordifolia, a dwarf variety of the Boston fern, for its lushness and versatility. A compact, easy to grow plant, it also gives off a pleasing, faint lemony scent. "Plus, it can be easily divided to create a selection of small, slender ferns that can slot in anywhere," Jones says. 

• Soil: loamy, well-draining potting soil
• Light: provide dappled shade
• Water: keep soil moist and mist daily

Jade

"Jades are meant to bring love and prosperity, so I love throwing them into each of our designs," Cain says. A bonus: jade loves the indirect sunlight that is perfect for terrariums. Just avoid over-watering this succulent, which will cause leaves to yellow and fall off.

• Soil: loose succulent potting soil or potting soil mixed with sand, perlite and vermiculite
• Light: provide bright indirect light
• Water: keep soil moist but not saturated 

Moss "Cushion" or "Bun"

Leucobryum glaucum was a favorite among our experts for its round, cushion shape and vibrant green color. "I consider it the verdant jewel in the crown of your miniature landscape," Mowat says. "It adds a touch of natural beauty and completes the overall composition." 

Jones gives cushion moss high marks for versatility, noting that it can be torn into mini chunks that you can sculpt into your terrarium design. Mist regularly with a spray bottle to keep it moist, and consider a closed terrarium to help it thrive.

• Soil: loose, sandy soil
• Light: provide bright indirect light
• Water: keep soil moist but not saturated and mist often

Nerve Plant 

Known for their intricate veined leaves, Fittonias love terrarium life and come in a variety of cool color combinations. Fans of indirect sunlight, they thrive when tucked in among larger plants.

• Soil: well-draining tropical potting mix or potting soil blended with peat moss
• Light: provide bright indirect light
• Water: keep soil moist but not saturated and mist often

Orchid "Jewel"

"Ludisia Discolor, with its simple white flowers, is particularly stunning," Mowat says. "However, its true allure lies in its velvety leaves, often adorned with reddish or golden threads." Easy to care for, the Jewel orchid can tolerate extremely low light and appreciates even moisture and high humidity, but you'll want to avoid misting, which can cause fungal infections. Instead, keep your terrarium moist at the sand level.

• Soil: orchid potting mix or potting soil blended with perlite, vermiculite, sphagnum moss, and shredded bark
• Light: provide low to medium diffused light
• Water: water when soil is just dry to the touch
  

Peperomia

One of Martha's favorite houseplants, this genus has more than 1,000 species. "There are just so many varieties that you can fit the aesthetic of your home or find something unique to give as a gift," Cain says. "Some look completely as if you're looking out at Jurassic Park." 

Jones's favorite is String of Turtles, which can be trailed down driftwood branches or through mossy hills in your terrarium. "As long as it's nice and humid, it'll happily grow wherever you plant it," he says.

• Soil: well-draining potting mix
• Light: varies from bright indirect light to shade
• Water: allow soil to dry between waterings

Pilea "Silver Sparkle"

The tiny, silver leaves of Pilea glauca add contrast to an otherwise green tropical terrarium, Jones says. "It's as simple as dropping a few cuttings directly into your terrarium and watching it take root wherever it falls."

• Soil: tropical potting mix or any moderately rich, well-draining soil
• Light: provide bright indirect light
• Water: keep soil moist but not saturated and mist often

Spiderwort

Tough, tropical Tradescantia plants are easy to grow. They tolerate a variety of sun exposures and form dense mats, putting down roots wherever they touch the soil. "Their trailing nature makes them perfect for creating a cascading effect within your terrarium," Mowat says, and many of the light-foliage varieties have dramatic, dark purple undersides. 

While it prefers consistently moist soil, spiderwort can handle occasional dry spells and will perk up again with watering.

• Soil: well-draining potting mix
• Light: varies from bright indirect light to shade
• Water: keep soil moist but not saturated

Where to Purchase Terrarium Supplies or Pre-Made Terrariums

You can purchase a premade terrarium at a garden center or greenhouse or online. Some sellers create themed terrariums  made for daydreaming, like tropical beaches, country pastures, and rocky creeks, and will ship them right to your door. And while premade terrariums come with their own moss and plants, creators will often help you choose additional plants that work well in the mini worlds they have created. 

You'll find what you need to make your own terrarium at garden centers and crafts stores or a one-stop shop like Cain's (search "DIY terrariums" online to find one near you). You can also order kits and accessories online. Go natural with a hand-blown glass bowl nestled in a teak-wood root or channel the Victorian era with a mini conservatory. For a little magic, tuck an imaginary world among your terrarium plants. You'll find twig fairy houses, tiny toadstools, miniature gnomes, and fanciful woodland animal figurines in gift shops and online. 

To help your terrarium thrive, be sure to use the right soil for your plants. Garden centers sell special mixes, but you can also make your own. Combine general use potting soil with horticultural sand, perlite, and vermiculite to create the extra drainage succulents need; for a tropical terrarium, add long-fiber sphagnum moss to improve water retention while preventing soil compaction.  

Different Types of Terrariums

There are two main types of terrariums: open and closed.

Open Terrariums

Lids are optional on open terrariums, which often feature succulents that "thrive on neglect," Cain says. Even tropical terrariums can do well without being enclosed. "You just might have to add humidity by misting it or watering it a little bit more," she says.

Closed Terrariums

If you go with a closed terrarium, clean it regularly to remove water spots and prevent algae buildup that can block light.