# Brazil nut trees



## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

I was watching last weeks NATURE program, on the brazil nut tree...very interesting life cycle. (it also mentioned the brazil nut frog)
Anyway they said the seedlings will remain basicly dormant until a tree falls, then when it gets bright light it starts growing.
I was wondering if this might make it a candidate for Viv use.
Any ideas?


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## Arklier (Mar 1, 2004)

If you're talking about the pods, yes people do use them. If you're talking about the plant itself... no. Brazil nut trees grow over 150 feet tall. Plus they need specific jungle dwelling insects to pollinate their flowers. That's why they only grow in the rainforest and cannot be farmed.


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## booboo (Jan 22, 2005)

You could always expirement and try it bonsai styled


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

Arklier said:


> If you're talking about the pods, yes people do use them. If you're talking about the plant itself... no. Brazil nut trees grow over 150 feet tall. Plus they need specific jungle dwelling insects to pollinate their flowers. That's why they only grow in the rainforest and cannot be farmed.


Well...if you read carefully...you might see what I meant. I understand these are trees :shock: 
The tree as a seedling is said to barely grow until a tree falls, leaving a clearing where the light comes in, then it takes off.
If you were to put a seedling in a dimly lit viv, would it stay alive?


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## beeswaxx (Feb 17, 2005)

I saw that nature show last week. Poor tad got eaten by that larvae.
-Beeswaxx


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## Arklier (Mar 1, 2004)

Dancing frogs said:


> Well...if you read carefully...you might see what I meant. I understand these are trees :shock:
> The tree as a seedling is said to barely grow until a tree falls, leaving a clearing where the light comes in, then it takes off.
> If you were to put a seedling in a dimly lit viv, would it stay alive?


Why would you want to? There are plants that are easier to work with that stay the right size.


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## Blort (Feb 5, 2005)

Dancing frogs said:


> Arklier said:
> 
> 
> > If you're talking about the pods, yes people do use them. If you're talking about the plant itself... no. Brazil nut trees grow over 150 feet tall. Plus they need specific jungle dwelling insects to pollinate their flowers. That's why they only grow in the rainforest and cannot be farmed.
> ...


Sounds interesting. I say try it. It's not like it is going to grow 5 feet in one day. It seems as long as the tree doesn't push the top and create a gap for renegade escapee frogs, it is worth a try. Whenever I venture into my next vivarium (or paludarium) I want to do a substrate layer that is at least a foot or so deep and try to root a couple of larger plants instead of tons of medium and small plants. I want to throw in some scouring rush which gets 3 to 4 feet tall, but can be pruned easily and grows both in soil and in water.

Good luck,

Marcos


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

Arklier said:


> Dancing frogs said:
> 
> 
> > Well...if you read carefully...you might see what I meant. I understand these are trees :shock:
> ...


One reason is I'm always looking for something new, preferably from similar local(s) of the frogs.
Another reason is the unique lifecycle of the tree...would make a nice conversation piece.
Another reason, I'm tired of tanks chocking full of creeping fig, pothos, and ferns (I'm a little on the lazy side)
I do realize there are plenty of plants well suited and stay a decent size, just an idea for something new.
Anyone else see the show?


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## pa.walt (Feb 16, 2004)

*brazil nut*

i saw the that show last night on pbs. saw a tricolor and the casti...in the show. 
i wouldn't mind just getting the brazil nut husk. from what i saw it looked like a neat breeding area for the tads. 
i didn't see any sort of size comparison to how big it grows(seedling size) and how fast grows even under lights. i don't think it would be worth the work in getting it to grow in your tank. i think you would need a big/high tank for it. finding a brazil nut seedling might be a chore. i myself would like to have a strangler fig type plant. i like that banyan type look. but i know my plants wouldn't like the fig. 
you could make a palidarium and just have it grow out the top.if you really think about it we don't really copy the "jungle look" anyway.¾ of what we use wouldn't be seen in a jungle.


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## Guest (May 2, 2005)

black jungle sells the pods.


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## reptileink (May 1, 2005)

I just got a 3 pack of the pods from Black Jungle. I am using the medium sized one for a hut when I get my frogs as opposed to a coconut hut.


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## Tony Kim (Apr 26, 2005)

I would think a true jungle look would be all tangled and messy. It doesn't look nice in a terrarium.


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## rbrightstone (Apr 14, 2004)

*brazil nut tree*

No it will not grow 5' in one day, but if that switch gets tuned on, the can and will grow as much as 12' in one 24 hour period. And bear in mind, that the forest floor is almost a twilight type of light. The light intensity under a t8 or compact flouresent lights would be more than enough to start growth.


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

12"s in one day! :shock: Don't go on a vacation for 2 weeks.


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## scooter (Jul 13, 2004)

i've got one in two different viv's and i guess i've been lucky. no rampant growth yet. i saw the show too, and they mentioned that if conditions aren't right the plant just kinda hangs out not growing. i haven't got a bit of growth yet. everything is green and heathly, but not a single sign of growth on either one. i know they get huge, but i couldn't resist having a brazil nut tree for a brazil nut frog


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

I once grew a mango pit. It did nothing for weeks and weeks then over the course of one weekend it sprouted, grew 10” tall and spread 7” black leaves. I walked into my office on Monday morning and almost walked right back out because of this wicked looking inky black seedling. Spooky stuff!


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

While I haven't tried growing Brazil nut trees I have tried growing some of the other tropical fruit trees from seed to see what they looked like and some of the custard apples have a very similar growth pattern. One type I germinated was 4 feet tall within a month and a half and pruning it didn't help much as the leaf nodes were 8-12 inches apart and once pruned the same growth rate occured at next highest leaf node.... (it grew and hit the roof of my dorm room when I grew one in a 5 gallon bucket....)

A lot of these types of trees will not grow for periods of time (sometimes significant periods like months) if they are transplanted but once the shock wears off then they can really shoot up like weeds. 

Ed


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