# Favorite Inexpensive Everyday Plants



## drbp (Apr 22, 2007)

So, I'm constructing a 10 vert viv for my sister. She's way into frogs (all kinds) but it's time for her to break into the PDF realm. I'm planning on surprising her with it in about two months and I even have three Imi tads that'll be about ready by then.

I'm trying to keep costs down and thought I'd hit Lowes, WallyWorld and a few other non-PC evil empire establishments to find some suitable subjects to plant. 

I'd love some suggestions/guidelines about what to look for that will be a little more wallet friendly than my 55 gal display viv.

I tried to search function but ugh...something wrong with the new site...ugh again.


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## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

Check out the clearance shelves in your local Lowe's garden center. I try to hit the different ones in Grand Rapids once a week. You can often find small Hedera ivy, Syngonium, pothos and a number of philodendron varieties, and sometimes even small bromeliads for just a buck or two. Sometimes they need a little TLC, others are just overgrowing their pots. I recently picked up a half-dozen broms the blossoms of which were past their prime for $2 each. They are starting to throw pups like crazy, which I replant and sell for $6 or $7 at reptile expos.



drbp said:


> So, I'm constructing a 10 vert viv for my sister. She's way into frogs (all kinds) but it's time for her to break into the PDF realm. I'm planning on surprising her with it in about two months and I even have three Imi tads that'll be about ready by then.
> 
> I'm trying to keep costs down and thought I'd hit Lowes, WallyWorld and a few other non-PC evil empire establishments to find some suitable subjects to plant.
> 
> ...


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Found some really cool red broms at Home Depot for my last viv, they had them marked as "plant of the month" and were selling them for $2.99 (most had 3 broms per pot)


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

Personally I have not had much luck with store bought broms in tanks. I would talk to Spring Valley Tropicals. You could do a fern or two and 2 or 3 broms for a reasonable price, and they should all thrive in your vert and they are more attractive broms than what most stores sell I think. Michael's Bromeliads aslso has a nice collection and $5 - $6 pups. Just a thought. Are you using any drift wood in the tank? That can help add interest, and I know a place to get some for a reasonable price, PM me if you like. There are also board members usually willing to offer some cuttings for trade, even free at times.


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## zaroba (Apr 8, 2006)

around this time of year grocery stores have the 2" Exotic Angel tropical foliage plants that sell for a dollar each. at least around here anyway.

the ones that i've had in a viv for the past year are:
Chamaedorea elegans - have several of these and all are doing great, most have probably doubled in size.
Schefflera arboricola - its surviving, but not thriving. died off a bit when it was new, and now it looks somewhat ugly due to growing so slowly. i have considered removing it more then once.
Maranta leuconeura - similar as the schefflera, very little new growth, but no death.
pathos - everybody knows how they grow 
Syngonium podophyllum - put two of these in and they are growing more then the pathos.
Sansevieria Laurentii - i put a pup from a larger one of these in the viv in fall, it hasn't done any growing yet.
Coffea arabica - died off a bit when it was first put in the viv, but has come back. not a fast grower.
Dracaena sanderiana - another good plant. planted 3 of these, 1 has tripled in size, 2 have doubled in size. they are each planted in areas that some other plants didn't like well.
Dracaena Deremensis - have 2 of these. one has doubled in size, the other has grown half as much. i think this is what it is anyway, it looks exactly like pictures i found online except for the coloring.
Hedera helix - growing pretty nicely.


hmm...as for the few that died...can't remember what they were.
i only got low and medium light plants so most survived.


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## drbp (Apr 22, 2007)

Hey, that's a great list Zaroba. I'm going to have to spend a little time looking all of those up on the net to see what they look like. I'm way too much of a plant new-b/idiot  . So far, I did see some African violets on super sale at my lowes. I think they looked OK. Any thoughts?

-ben


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## zaroba (Apr 8, 2006)

keep in mind that different plants are better suited to different habitats. while some may do good or poorly in one viv doesn't mean they will in another. for example, oak leaf creeping fig and salegenella always die once planted in my viv, yet lots of others can grow it fine in there vivs. really it all depends on the lighting and moisture level.

i have some other plants in the viv too, but they are planted recently so i didn't include them in the list.

heres pics of em:

Chamaedorea elegans









Schefflera arboricola (not the one i have, didn't bother taking a pic since it looks horrible)









Syngonium podophyllum









Maranta Leuconeure on the left, Sansevieria Laurentii on the right









Coffea arabica









Dracaena sanderiana









Dracaena Deremensis (i think)









Hedera helix


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## Jungle_John (Feb 19, 2007)

ive been going to home depot and they have unknow broms (they mark them as venus flytraps) and sell them for 1.99$. these broms are solid green and have usualy 2 large pups on them. i got 2 of them and filled a 20 gallon with them. there very nice and hold a good amount of water.
however just because my home depot has them dosnt mean yours will. however they probly will.

good luck :mrgreen:


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

Depends on whether you want sustainable plantings or not... 95 % of the plants zaroba mentioned for the viv are not suitable whether it be size or water needs (sanserveria is a dryland plant fo rthe most part.) Some good HD plants sometimes you can find are _Scindapsus pictus_ or the afore mentioned syngonium or philo. Pothos is a good standby.... also, many times there will be plants like fittonia or various small _Nephrolepsis exaltata_ cultivars. (Suzy wong is an example)


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## drbp (Apr 22, 2007)

:? 
Of course I'm looking for "sustainable plantings". I guess I'm getting a little confused. I'm just no plant expert. Is this just something I'm going to have to try out to see if something that works for someone else also works for me...but it might not? It is sounding a lot like many conversations about how to take care of orchids. There just isn't a consensus. I'm certainly not trying to start arguments between folks about what works and what doesn't but since this won't be my viv, I was hoping to put in a few "sure things"...If they exist.


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

All those things I mentioned are "sure things." In no way am I trying to start a fight with anyone. I am just telling you that if you put a schefflera in your tank, it will outgrow it, as will the sanseveria, coffee tree, and both dracaenas. Dracaenas would be ideal as this many times are what frogs such as imitator use in the wild... but unless your tank is 6-10 feet tall...

*Schefflera*- 10-15 ft
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/SCHARBA.PDF
_*Dracaena deremensis*_ (I am not sold that the picture is what it is, but Z already said that  )
Most deremensis I have seen get massive, the one we have in our teaching greenhouse at my university is 8 feet tall.
*Dracaena sanderiana*- 2-3ft
This one is a lot closer, just depends on your tank size... My "lucky bamboo" are about 2.5 feet tall.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/38172/
*Coffee arabica*-
Not only does this have a tap root, which most vivs do not have adequate substrate depth for, it gets WAY too massive, some plants in the wild are as large as 40ft, although domestically you are looking at around 12 feet. You can pinch it back yes, but then you will have a bush instead of a tree.
http://www.sweetmarias.com/growingcoffeeathome.html
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2057/

You mentioned African Violets, a lot of people use them and they do great.


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## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

drbp said:


> :?
> Of course I'm looking for "sustainable plantings". I guess I'm getting a little confused. I'm just no plant expert. Is this just something I'm going to have to try out to see if something that works for someone else also works for me...but it might not? It is sounding a lot like many conversations about how to take care of orchids. There just isn't a consensus. I'm certainly not trying to start arguments between folks about what works and what doesn't but since this won't be my viv, I was hoping to put in a few "sure things"...If they exist.


Other than pothos, I haven't found any "sure things." Plants which do well in one viv, sometimes don't do well in another. Sometimes it's a matter of trial and error. I had one spot that killed three fittonia, only to have fourth take off like crazy. Most nurseries now tag their plants with light and moisture requirements. Try to find stuff that likes low to medium light and lots of moisture if planting at ground level. And, definitely watch the mature plant size listed on the tag, although with careful pruning you can stunt the growth of many plants.


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

housevibe7 said:


> You mentioned African Violets, a lot of people use them and they do great.


Amen. Can get a little big but have a really nice floor covering effect.









There are three plants in this picture that I recommend. Bottom left is an African Violet. Flowers, great leafs, loves the tanks and it was $1.99. Top left is a Lemon Button Fern. Has a nice lush look, does not grow too fast and was $3.99. Bottom right is a Button Fern. Nice round leafs, can grow a bit bushy though. $3.99. A few of the board sponsors sell these ferns for pretty cheap. The broms in this shot cost $5.00 ea as pups (they are 6 months older now). Those three plants plus 2 or three brom would fill out a 10 gallon vert for about $25.00 plus some shipping. Thats pretty good I think.


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

Another vote for Syngonium podophyllum


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## zaroba (Apr 8, 2006)

i'm actually not 100% positive that most of the plants i have in the pics are what i said they are.
i don't have the tags that came with them (if they even did have tags) so was looking at Exotic Angels website and just comparing the pics.


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## Mikee (Oct 23, 2007)

I tried Chamaedorea elegans it did not do well but didnt die either.. i took it out anyways i think they are better off outside the viv.


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