# pilea "baby tears" or oak leaf creeping fig



## the_deeb (Apr 21, 2008)

I'm looking for a small-leafed vine like plant for my viv. It will be planted in a small (1.5") pot in the background near the top of the viv. Very bright light and somewhat drier than other parts of the viv. I'd like it grow along and eventually cover a driftwood branch that protrudes horizontally from my background just under the planting pot.

Do you thing pilea baby tears of oak leaf creeping fig would be better for this purpose? Any thoughts as to which is the hardier and faster growing of the two?


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## jdart16 (Jun 5, 2008)

I think oak leaf would be better.

Baby tears doesn't make a great plant for covering up the background and is better as a groundcover. It is a very fragile plant.

Oak leaf grows slower but the leaves will cover up more of the background.

Justin


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## Nubster (Jun 16, 2008)

I have baby tears in my viv and it has grown several inches in the two weeks that I have had it. According to Josh's Frogs website it is a pretty tough plant. I really like it a lot and may get more for my background.


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## jdart16 (Jun 5, 2008)

Let me rephrase the stems are not very strong and may get trampled by your frogs.

It also accasionally has problems when there isn't enough air movement.

Justin


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

Heh... I wrote that description... I find that Pilea 'baby tears' (and the tiny tears) are pretty resilient, but you have to let them get established. Big frogs will tear them up if you introduce plant and frog simultaneously. Give the plants a month or two to settle in, and shouldn't be much of a problem.

I have Pilea "Baby Tears" in a tank with the biggest darn frogs I've ever seen (two inferalanis), and so far (a couple months) so good. Regular baby tears (which is an entirely different genus) would not be a good choice, however.


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## the_deeb (Apr 21, 2008)

Thanks for the replies. For now my viv only has plants in it and I'm not planning on adding any frogs for a while so new plants will have plenty of time to establish. Will the pilea actually creep upward on the background or does it just cascade?


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## Otis (Apr 16, 2006)

What I have found with baby tear is it either grows massivly fast or dies within a few weeks if it's not happy. I have tons of it in my mini green house and it does amazing but I have tried putting it in vivs and it always rots out. Just make sure you let it dry out between waterings. The oak leaf fig is really nice background cover, but don't let it dry out. What I do with all my figs until they have acclimated and rooted themselves to the background is put the clipping in a film canaster and they do great this way. Or you can stick the clipping in the false bottom and it will root really fast, just keep it wet.


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## Nubster (Jun 16, 2008)

the_deeb said:


> Thanks for the replies. For now my viv only has plants in it and I'm not planning on adding any frogs for a while so new plants will have plenty of time to establish. Will the pilea actually creep upward on the background or does it just cascade?


I think it is more cascading so you need to start it high and let it work downwards. At least that is how mine is doing.


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## CHIMS181514 (Mar 28, 2010)

I have oak leaf in my dart frog terrarium and I think it's the best background!!!! I started them high in my tank because I assumed they would cascade, but there are definitely branches that will grow upwards. Mines grows about 2" a month


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

I am having a problem with some of the responses here for the Baby's Tears because I'm not seeing all the Latin names for each kind. There are at least 3 plants I know of that are called Baby's Tears. The one I think is the easiest and best is Helxine solerolii. This plant is indestructible if introduced as cuttings. Covers the ground pretty quickly. It won't cover the background that great though.


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Antone I believe that picture is actually of Pilea depressa and not Helxine solerolii


Todd


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## ryan10517 (Oct 23, 2010)

Frogtofall said:


> I am having a problem with some of the responses here for the Baby's Tears because I'm not seeing all the Latin names for each kind. There are at least 3 plants I know of that are called Baby's Tears. The one I think is the easiest and best is Helxine solerolii. This plant is indestructible if introduced as cuttings. Covers the ground pretty quickly. It won't cover the background that great though.


i saw this plant at a local greenhouse today in the "terrarium plants" section for pretty cheap. I was reluctant about buying it though because the scientific name was not labeled. The guy just called it "babys tears". What type of baby's tears are not viv suitable?? Is pilea depressa ever referred to as baby's tears? Im confused about how to tell them apart.


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