# Climbing vines with small leaves



## Tomoko Schum (Jan 14, 2012)

Hi,

I am getting a new 18 x 18 x 24 Exo Terra terrarium. It should be here next week. Does any climing vine go up on the fake stone background that it comes with? Should I ditch the background and use something else?

I am new to growing plants in a terrarium. I like to grow some vines in the background. I have a few cuttings of oak leaf ficus and ficus Panama, but they seem to be very slow growing.

I like the appearance of Rhaphidophora pachyphylla very much. It looks like it can climb rock walls without any problem. I suppose that other Rhaphidophora, such as R. hayi, can do the same. 

I heard that common ficus pumila can grow so fast that it can be a nuisance later on. They seem to be available everywhere.

I saw some Hoya (H. curtisii?) and Discidia with small lance leaves at Wal-Mart and Home Depot. They seem to be the type that dangles down. How do I use these in a vivarium? Do I need to put a small planter up near the top of the terrarium?


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

I'd go with the Rhaphidophora species. I have three different kinds of ficus vine (standard, oak-leaf, and lance-leaf). If I could I'd kill all the standard ficus pumila. However, even that stuff has trouble growing on fake stone backgrounds (styrofoam) because it doesn't hold any moisture.

You can either build your own background (and there are hundreds of detailed threads with different options) or you could use the one you have and enhance it with some clay background mix. The clay allows for moisture retention, looks more natural, and can be used to help secure the background in place.

One advantage of foam is that you can mount epiphytes more easily, but again, with only foam, there is a problem with no moisture retention.

Good luck and keep us posted.


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## ICS523 (Mar 10, 2012)

ficus pumilia is pretty great, try the miniature "quilted variety" other dwarf variety's are available.


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

I like small leaved Dischidia species... I'm up to at least a dozen dischidia species now. I've never seen one at walmart, but they get in all sorts of interesting stuff lately.

They will grow either up or down, really. You can plant them low and let them climb, it is probably the easiest way to do it. 

Some of the smaller leaved pileas, like what is sold as 'Tiny Tears' or 'Baby Tears' will climb pretty well.

Rob


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## therizman2 (Jul 20, 2008)

Several of the ficus species would do very well... quercifolia (oak leaf), radicans (larger leaves), minima (stays smaller than the normal pumila). Also, Cissus amazonicus and the new Cissus sp. that is being passed around would both do well and have smaller leaves. Pellionias can also climb and give you the appearance of a shingled if its on the background but with much more color in the leaves.


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## Tomoko Schum (Jan 14, 2012)

Thank you guys for all the suggestions!!





JimO said:


> If I could I'd kill all the standard ficus pumila. However, even that stuff has trouble growing on fake stone backgrounds (styrofoam) because it doesn't hold any moisture.


I was afraid of that. I am going to look for the way to make an easy background. I have seen many pretty example on this board. It's just that I am terrified of making a mess out of the brand new vivarium using GS. I might try to build a removable one using a styrofoam board with GS and siliconed-in peat moss and cocofiber mixture.




littlefrog said:


> I like small leaved Dischidia species... They will grow either up or down, really. You can plant them low and let them climb, it is probably the easiest way to do it.
> 
> Some of the smaller leaved pileas, like what is sold as 'Tiny Tears' or 'Baby Tears' will climb pretty well.


Can I just clip a cutting of Dischidia, or any climbing vines, onto the background of GS and peat moss? Or, should I plant the cutting into AGB mix?


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Don't forget Marcgravia and Monstera dubia....those two are actually native to the same areas that darts are and look great on a background. Personally, I think Marcgravia is one of the most useful species out there....

As for the Rhaphidophora, look at R. cryptantha, celatocaulis, hongkongensis, and korthalsi. The R. pachyphylla is the smallest of those, kinda along the same lines as Marcgravia. THe others are large shinglers....


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## Tomoko Schum (Jan 14, 2012)

JoshH said:


> Don't forget Marcgravia and Monstera dubia....those two are actually native to the same areas that darts are and look great on a background. Personally, I think Marcgravia is one of the most useful species out there....
> 
> As for the Rhaphidophora, look at R. cryptantha, celatocaulis, hongkongensis, and korthalsi. The R. pachyphylla is the smallest of those, kinda along the same lines as Marcgravia. THe others are large shinglers....


Thank you, JoshH. I will definitely consider them. Do you know of a good source for them?


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## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

Hey Tomoko,
Ficus pumilia var. quercifolia can be a quicker grower depending on conditions. I have some potted in growouts and they take forever to grow, while the cuttings I put on a clay wall quickly grew. If yours is growing too slowly, try forcing it to grow vertically instead of cascade, may work out for you. 
I'm interested in finding some Rhaphidophora as well.


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## Tomoko Schum (Jan 14, 2012)

fieldnstream said:


> Hey Tomoko,
> Ficus pumilia var. quercifolia can be a quicker grower depending on conditions. I have some potted in growouts and they take forever to grow, while the cuttings I put on a clay wall quickly grew. If yours is growing too slowly, try forcing it to grow vertically instead of cascade, may work out for you.
> I'm interested in finding some Rhaphidophora as well.


Thank you, Field. I will try to train it vertically.


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

For the things that climb, start them from the bottom substrate and they shouldn't have too much of an issue getting established on the wall. Moisture is only an issue if you're trying to start it ON the wall, and all the hemiepiphytes don't do nearly as well started like that. Hemiepiphytes start by rambling around on the floor, find something to climb, then grow up as fast as they can, and in some cases cover the surfaces along the way if they get decent light (Creeping fig tends to spread as it climbs, while things like the Rhaphs, Marcs, and Monstera tend to go straight up). Plant them at the base of what you want them to climb, and lightly tack the vines onto the surface you want them to climb. As long as there are nodes on the surface and more light above it should be happy to grow where you want it to. 

One that I know may not do nearly as well is Cissus amazonica. I like this plant, but it's a tendril climber that rambles. It grips with it's tendrils so it won't have much to grab onto on a smooth background of any kind. Give it a branch to wrap around and it will go bonkers, OR if the background already has something climbing up it, it will grab onto that plant and use it as a ladder. I constantly have to pull this sucker out out of bromeliads LOL.

If it still seems to cause some issues you can lightly score it with a rough file or sand paper - not enough that stuff comes off, but just enough to rough up the surface a bit.


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## Tomoko Schum (Jan 14, 2012)

KeroKero said:


> For the things that climb, start them from the bottom substrate and they shouldn't have too much of an issue getting established on the wall. Moisture is only an issue if you're trying to start it ON the wall, and all the hemiepiphytes don't do nearly as well started like that.


Thank you for the great information, Kero Kero.

I like your handle name  Quite fitting for a frogger.


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Haha, nice that I don't even have to explain it 

Hope the info helps you grow happy plants! Give the plants a chance and they'll find a way LOL.


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## Tomoko Schum (Jan 14, 2012)

KeroKero said:


> Haha, nice that I don't even have to explain it .


Geko Geko is another one.


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