Terrarium Plants: 25 Varieties That Actually Thrive in a Glass Box

So you built a terrarium. Or you’re about to. And now you’re staring at a wall of plants at the garden center wondering which ones will turn your glass box into a tiny jungle, and which ones will rot into a sad pile of mush by next Tuesday.

Look, I’ve been there. Picked the wrong plant, sealed it in a jar, and watched it slowly liquefy like a science experiment gone wrong. Not fun.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you upfront: the type of terrarium you’re building decides which plants belong inside. A closed jar with a lid is basically a tropical rainforest. An open bowl is more like a desert. Mix those up and stuff dies fast.

This guide breaks down 25 terrarium plants that actually work, segmented by the kind of setup you’ve got. No fluff, no plants that only thrive in a botanical garden, just stuff you can actually buy and grow at home.

How to Pick the Right Terrarium Plant (30-Second Cheat Sheet)

Before we dive into the plant list, you need to know one thing: closed terrariums and open terrariums need totally different plants.

Terrarium Type	Humidity	Light	Best Plants
Closed (lid, sealed)	High (70-100%)	Bright indirect	Ferns, fittonia, moss, peperomia
Open (no lid, airflow)	Low to medium	Bright, some direct	Succulents, air plants, cacti
Desert / arid	Very low	Direct sun	Cacti, lithops, haworthia

If you’re not sure what type you have, the rule is simple. Lid = closed. No lid = open. Don’t put a succulent in a sealed jar. Don’t put a fern in a dry open bowl. Match plant to environment and you’ll be fine.

For the full setup walkthrough, check our guide on how to build a terrarium.

Plants for Closed Terrariums (Humidity Lovers)

These are the plants that thrive in the warm, wet, greenhouse-like air of a sealed terrarium. They evolved as rainforest understory plants, so a humid glass jar (the jar I built my jarrarium in) feels like home.

1. Fittonia (Nerve Plant)

Fittonia is the unofficial mascot of closed terrariums. The leaves have these vivid pink, red, or white veins that look almost painted on, and the plant practically begs for high humidity.

It tolerates overwatering, underwatering, and general neglect inside a sealed jar. Fittonia is hands-down the best beginner plant for closed terrariums.

Keep it in bright indirect light. Trim it when it gets leggy. Done.

2. Button Fern (Pellaea rotundifolia)

Tiny round leaves on dark wiry stems. Stays compact, doesn’t try to take over your terrarium, and looks great cascading over a piece of driftwood.

Button ferns like consistent moisture and indirect light. They’re way more forgiving than most ferns, which is why they’re a terrarium classic.

3. Lemon Button Fern

A miniature version of the Boston fern with citrusy-smelling fronds. Maxes out around 12 inches but stays much smaller in a contained environment.

It’s drought-tolerant for a fern, which means it forgives you if you forget to mist for a week. Lemon button ferns are nearly impossible to kill in a closed terrarium.

4. Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya)

Bright pink, white, or red speckled leaves. Loves humidity, hates dry indoor air, and looks like someone splattered paint on it. Perfect terrarium drama.

Pinch the tops to keep it bushy. It can get leggy if you let it.

5. Peperomia

Peperomia is a giant family with tons of tiny varieties that work in terrariums. Peperomia rosso, watermelon peperomia, and ripple peperomia are the top picks.

They have thick, almost succulent-like leaves but love humidity. Compact, slow-growing, and basically idiot-proof.

6. Selaginella (Spike Moss / Club Moss)

Not a true moss but looks like one. Selaginella uncinata has iridescent blue-green foliage that catches the light like nothing else.

It needs constant humidity and can crisp up if you leave the lid off too long. Inside a closed terrarium, it spreads into a beautiful low carpet.

7. Baby’s Tears (Soleirolia soleirolii)

Tiny round leaves on creeping stems that flow over rocks and substrate like green water. Forms a soft mat that softens hard edges in your design.

Baby’s tears is one of the best ground covers you can put in a closed terrarium. Just make sure it stays moist, since it wilts fast if it dries out.

8. Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila)

Small heart-shaped leaves on climbing vines. It will literally climb the glass walls if you let it, attaching with tiny aerial roots.

Easy to prune back when it gets too enthusiastic. Get the variegated version for extra visual interest.

9. Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura)

Big, bold leaves with stunning vein patterns. The leaves fold up at night like hands in prayer, which is honestly kind of magical the first time you see it.

Prayer plants need high humidity and indirect light, so a closed terrarium is basically a dream home for them. Just give them space because they get bigger than most terrarium plants.

10. Pilea (Friendship Plant, Aluminum Plant)

The small Pilea species, especially Pilea glauca and Pilea involucrata, are made for terrariums. Tiny leaves, low growth, easy to propagate.

Bright indirect light and consistent moisture. Pinch them back to encourage bushiness.

11. Strawberry Begonia (Saxifraga stolonifera)

Not actually a begonia or a strawberry, but the name stuck. It sends out runners with little baby plants on the ends, just like a strawberry plant.

Loves humidity, looks adorable, and propagates itself. Win-win-win.

12. Miniature Orchid

Yes, you can put orchids in a terrarium. Miniature varieties like Pleurothallis, Lepanthes, and Mini Phalaenopsis thrive in the high-humidity environment.

This is more advanced territory since orchids have specific care needs. But if you want to wow people, a blooming mini orchid in a terrarium is the move.

The Moss Layer (Closed Terrariums)

Moss is non-negotiable in a proper closed terrarium. It’s the green carpet that ties everything together, and it doesn’t even have roots so it’s nearly impossible to kill if you keep it humid.

For the full deep dive, check our guide on moss terrarium ideas.

13. Sheet Moss

A flat, carpet-like moss that drapes over substrate and rocks. Sheet moss is the easiest mossy ground cover for beginners. Just press it onto damp soil and it takes hold.

14. Cushion Moss (Leucobryum glaucum)

Forms little pale-green pillows that look like fluffy hills in a tiny landscape. Adds height variation and a magical fairy-garden vibe.

15. Pillow Moss

Similar to cushion moss but darker and denser. Holds water like a sponge and keeps the terrarium humidity stable.

Plants for Open Terrariums (Succulents and Cacti)

Open terrariums need plants that hate humidity. We’re talking succulents, cacti, and air plants. Stick a fern in here and it’s dead in three weeks.

For setup-specific ideas, see our cactus terrarium ideas post.

16. Echeveria

The classic rosette succulent. Thick fleshy leaves arranged in a tight spiral, available in dozens of colors from blue-green to deep purple.

Echeverias need bright direct light and almost no water. Water once every two to three weeks max, and only when the soil is bone dry.

17. Haworthia (Zebra Plant)

Stripey, spiky-looking little succulents that stay compact. Tolerates lower light better than most succulents, which makes them perfect for indoor terrariums that don’t get full sun.

Slow-growing and basically immortal if you don’t drown them.

18. Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum)

A hardy succulent that produces baby plants (“chicks”) around the parent (“hen”). Fills out a terrarium fast without getting overgrown.

Hens and chicks tolerates more sun than almost any other succulent, so park them right by a window.

19. Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)

A miniature tree-like succulent with thick glossy leaves. Goes dormant in winter, so you can pretty much ignore it for months.

Get a small variety or prune regularly to keep it terrarium-sized.

20. Aloe (Mini Varieties)

Aloe vera gets too big, but mini aloes like Aloe juvenna and Aloe brevifolia stay terrarium-friendly. Spiky rosettes, dramatic shapes, drought-tolerant to the extreme.

21. Burro’s Tail (Sedum morganianum)

Trailing stems covered in plump blue-green beads. Looks incredible cascading out of a hanging terrarium or down the side of a glass bowl.

The leaves drop if you bump them, so place it once and leave it alone.

22. Lithops (Living Stones)

Plants that look exactly like rocks. They’re literally evolved to be camouflaged as pebbles in the African desert.

Lithops are the strangest, coolest plants you can put in a terrarium. Tiny, weird, and almost unkillable if you give them sun and almost no water.

Air Plants (For Any Terrarium with Airflow)

Air plants don’t need soil. You can plop them on a rock, a piece of driftwood, or just nestle them into the design. They absorb water and nutrients through their leaves.

Mist them once a week or dunk them in water for a few minutes every 10 days. Don’t stick them in a sealed jar, they need airflow.

23. Tillandsia ionantha

The classic air plant. Small green-and-pink rosette that fits anywhere. Affordable, common at any garden center, and dies hard.

24. Tillandsia xerographica

The “king” of air plants. Big silvery-gray curls that look architectural and dramatic. Xerographica is the air plant to get if you want a centerpiece.

25. Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides)

Drapes from branches like grey-green hair. Adds an instant moody, swampy aesthetic to any open setup.

Not a true moss, despite the name. It’s an air plant.

Plants You Should NEVER Put in a Closed Terrarium

Save yourself the heartbreak. These plants will die fast in a sealed jar.

• Cacti and succulents — they rot in high humidity, often within a week
• Air plants — they need airflow, sealed jars suffocate them
• Lavender, rosemary, and other Mediterranean herbs — they hate humidity
• Most flowering houseplants — flowers rot fast in moist enclosed air
• Maidenhair fern — yes it’s a fern but it’s notoriously fussy and dies if you look at it wrong

Plants You Should NEVER Put in an Open Desert Terrarium

The reverse problem. These plants will desiccate in a low-humidity bowl.

• Ferns (any kind)
• Mosses
• Fittonia, polka dot plant, baby’s tears
• Tropical anything

The shorthand: if it grew up in a rainforest, keep it sealed. If it grew up in a desert, keep it open.

Basic Care for Terrarium Plants

The good news is terrariums are basically self-sustaining if you set them up right. The bad news is they have very specific needs and getting one wrong kills everything fast.

Light

Bright indirect light for closed terrariums. Direct sun cooks the plants inside the glass like an oven.

Bright direct light for desert terrariums. South-facing window or grow light.

Watering

Closed terrariums: mist when condensation stops forming on the glass. Often that’s once a month or less.

Open terrariums (succulents): water every 2-3 weeks, and only when the soil is fully dry. Use a syringe or pipette so you don’t flood the bowl.

Air plants: mist or dunk weekly.

Pruning

Trim back any plant that’s outgrowing its space. Use small sharp scissors and cut at a node so the plant fills back in.

Pinch growing tips on creeping plants like baby’s tears or pilea to keep them bushy instead of leggy.

Fungus and Mold

Mold loves wet stagnant air. If you see white fuzz on the substrate, crack the lid for a few days and remove the affected piece.

A good drainage layer (lava rock or LECA) and activated charcoal under the soil prevent most mold issues from the start.

Frequently Asked Questions

What plants stay small in a terrarium?

Pick miniatures and slow-growers: fittonia, button fern, peperomia, baby’s tears, mini orchids, lithops, and most succulents stay under 6 inches.

Can I mix closed and open terrarium plants?

No. They have opposite humidity needs. Mixing them guarantees half the plants die.

What’s the easiest terrarium plant for total beginners?

Fittonia for closed terrariums. Haworthia for open terrariums. Both forgive almost any mistake.

How long do terrarium plants live?

A well-built closed terrarium can run for 10+ years with the same plants. The legendary David Latimer terrarium has been sealed since 1972 and is still alive.

Do terrarium plants need fertilizer?

Barely. The closed-loop system recycles nutrients. Maybe a quarter-strength liquid feed once or twice a year is plenty. More than that and plants outgrow the container.

Can I use plants from outside?

Technically yes, but you risk introducing pests and pathogens. Stick with nursery-bought plants unless you’re willing to quarantine and inspect carefully.

Final Thoughts

Building a terrarium is the easy part. Picking plants that actually live is where most beginners crash and burn.

If you stick to the rule of closed = humidity lovers, open = drought lovers, you’ll already be ahead of 90% of the people who start a terrarium and watch it die in a month.

Start with three or four plants from one category. Don’t overcrowd, don’t mix categories, and don’t panic when something looks weird in the first week. Plants need a few days to adjust.

Once you’ve nailed the basics, the fun stuff begins. Want a creepy carnivorous setup? See our carnivorous plants terrarium ideas post. Want a magical fantasy build? Try fairy terrarium ideas. Want something tiny and adorable? Check out mini terrarium ideas.

Now go pick a plant. Your glass jungle is waiting.