A Tiny Rainforest in Glass: Little Tree Plant, Begonia, Fittonia & Moss Terrarium

This is a combination of the little tree plant (Biophytum sensitivum), begonias, Fittonia, and moss.

Plant List

• Little tree plant (Biophytum sensitivum) — a small plant in the wood sorrel family

• Begonia

• Fittonia

• Small patches of moss collected from flower pots

  
  

  (mostly a mix of Bryum, Racomitrium, and Funaria moss)

Planting Substrate

The bottom layer is made of porous stones. You can use lava rock or pumice.

Above that is a layer of sphagnum moss or green moss, followed by regular potting soil. I simply used the original soil that came with the little tree plant.

There’s no need to use clay here. Regular potting soil works perfectly fine.

For the decorative top layer, I used:

• a few larger black lava rocks

• fine black lava gravel, about 1–3 mm

Planting Process

After planting everything and covering the roots with moss, I used black lava rock to decorate the remaining surface.

The larger lava rocks also help stabilize the plants. If a plant feels loose, or if you want the leaves facing a certain direction, using stones to support it is the easiest solution.

Finally, sprinkle the fine lava gravel over any exposed soil.

Watering

No misting needed.

Just use a long-spout watering can and pour water directly into the container.

This setup is very forgiving with watering, and excess moisture is usually not a problem.

It also handles heat well because the top has ventilation holes.

Even sitting on a desk, it already looks beautiful.If you want a more dramatic look, add a grow light like I did—the lighting makes the whole setup look even better. It also works nicely placed against a wall.

Extra Uses

Even as a simple decorative planter, this setup works beautifully.

You can also keep small insects inside, such as a young praying mantis.

There’s no need for a separate water dish. In a non-leaking container like this, small insects can naturally find moisture from the plants and surrounding surfaces.

I keep mine indoors in a bright spot.

If you want to try different plants, that usually works fine too, as long as they are small shade-loving plants.

Many small shade-loving plants naturally come from humid forest environments, so they usually prefer consistent moisture. Tropical rainforest plants, especially ferns, are often much more sensitive to drying out than to having extra moisture.

to be continued.

the planting video will be uploaded later.