A terrarium is basically a tiny, self-contained weather system that you get to design — and it happens to be the single best way to grow the plants that sulk in a normal dry living room. If you've ever lost a butterwort or a small sundew to "the air in here is just too dry," a terrarium fixes that problem permanently.
Open vs. closed: pick your commitment level
An open terrarium (no lid, or a wide opening) is lower-maintenance and more forgiving — good for a first attempt. A closed terrarium traps humidity almost completely, which most carnivorous plants and tropical species genuinely love, but it takes a bit more attention to avoid mold in the first few weeks while it finds its balance.
What to layer in
- Drainage layer — a base of gravel or LECA so roots never sit directly in standing water.
- Barrier layer — a thin layer of sphagnum moss between the drainage and the substrate keeps soil from washing down into your drainage layer. Our Premium New Zealand Sphagnum Moss works for both this layer and as a growing medium for the plants themselves.
- Substrate — for carnivorous plants specifically, skip regular potting soil entirely. A peat/sphagnum-based mix (no fertilizer, no perlite with added minerals) keeps the low-nutrient conditions they actually need.
- The plants — see below.
- Hardscape — a piece of driftwood or a clean rock gives the layout structure and gives your plants something to grow around.
What actually belongs in a terrarium
The short list: small, humidity-loving, and slow-growing enough that it won't outgrow a glass container in a month.
- Pinguicula (butterworts) — genuinely one of the best terrarium plants that almost nobody starts with. Compact, low-growing, sticky-leaved, and they'll happily catch fungus gnats as a bonus. We stock a rotating bench of named hybrids and species, all terrarium-ready.
- Small sundews — Drosera capensis and its compact relatives thrive in the humidity a closed terrarium provides.
- Small bladderworts (Utricularia) — easy to overlook, genuinely fascinating up close, and perfectly scaled for a small container.
Skip succulents and cacti here — they want dry air and sharp drainage, which is the opposite of what a humid terrarium provides. Save those for an open dish garden instead.
See what's currently in stock and terrarium-tagged in our Terrarium Plants collection.
Keeping it alive
Bright, indirect light — never direct sun through glass, which can cook a closed terrarium in minutes. Water sparingly with distilled or rainwater only if you're including carnivorous plants; tap water minerals build up fast in a closed system. If condensation fogs the glass completely for more than a day, crack the lid to let it breathe.
Want a moodier build?
If you're leaning into the darker end of the aesthetic — dark moss, a Sarracenia standing sentry, glass instead of a bright plastic bin — we've got a whole guide for that: Gothic Garden: Dark & Unusual Plants.
Not sure which plants to start with?
Take our 1-minute quiz and get plant recommendations based on your space, experience, and goals. Take the quiz →
