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asleep_in_the_garden

Terrarium candidate?

While digging around in image searches,I recently stumbled on something I'd no idea even existed.

Alocasia Microdora.

I'm guessing it would thrive in ter conditions,..what do you think?

If so...talk about "wow" factor!

If you've never seen this before,prepare to be amazed!

Here is a link that might be useful: Microdora

Comments (9)

  • 12 years ago

    Great size for a terrarium. Looks like it's a hardy hybrid. Might just be the ticket for an addition to someone's collection. Thanks for sharing.

  • 12 years ago

    Hey thanks O2! :)

    When I stumbled on it my first thought was that anyone who didn't know these things existed needed to know.

  • 12 years ago

    Very neat. You should get a few Asleep .... then I can trade you one of my terr mini plants for one.

    Wonder if it has a required dormancy period or is likely to go dormant at the drop of a pin as some plants are wont to do?

  • 12 years ago

    Hi Paul!

    I hadn't actually considered getting one for myself or anything,let alone for trade...interesting proposal though. Definitely worth thinking about!

    I put other alos in terrariums to coax them out of dormancy(usually works too),but soon enough they outgrow them. Until they do(and have to be taken out),they seem happy as can be in the high humidity. My guess is that microdora would thrive in such conditions,but who knows? Not all alos are alike,right?

  • 12 years ago

    Hi
    All alocasias are definitely not alike lol.. Wife brought home a so called "Black magic" according to the label so I put it in standing water Have never seen a plant nose dive so rapidlylol. On closer inspection figured out it was one of the so called "Jewel alos. A. infernalis since it was late fall put it into a terraium where it recovered but was chewed off by somethinglol . moved it out to the shade garden among the summering house plants has went into another nose dive . lol
    I grow at least 30 kinds of aroids and this is a first for me particularly Alocasia. Find little info on the net save for "difficult , requires fast draining media very warm temps " Haven't given up hope as yet as the corm is still quite firm and I see a sprout. Rainy season has started so if it needs dry in serious trouble lol
    Funny how you call a plant a "Jewel" it becomes tempermental?? Works that way with orchids and ferns
    also.lol garyl

  • 12 years ago

    LOL maybe "jewel" is code for expensive...like how it would add up if one was persistent in buying new ones to fill the space of the one that died before it.

    I notice how well alos do in terrariums,problem is that most that I've seen so far get way too big,and fast. This is why it occurred to me that microdora would be a perfect specimen. Actually,the infernalis would be pretty cool as a permanent resident in a larger tank. After some digging I found that they don't get near as big(like what,12 inches or so?)as most of the one's I'm familiar with. Think I need to do more research on smaller ones.

    By the way,..I totally get the mix up with the "black magic"...sounds an awful lot like a colocasia,don't it?

  • 12 years ago

    Hi
    Would think the microdora would be a good choice. Have never tried it as I'm usually looking for gigantic lol
    All the jewel alocasias would probably be a good choice
    and they have incredible leaf colors and stay relatively small. had only previous experience with A. cuprea
    Of the "jewel Orchids i've tried luisia discolor While rather easy to grow will not grow in a terrarium for me Anoectochilus won't live anywhere near me lol
    Of the "jewel" ferns i would rate Microsorum thailandicum and the elaphoglossum as some of the worlds MOST beautiful plants When happy they glitter and glow in the dark!!! when unhappy they look like weeds lol
    I've given up all but one of my terrariums and it's mostly aquatic Getting old and grouchy ,Rare and Exotic" not nearly as attractive as it used to be lol gary

  • 12 years ago

    The cuprea was just visiting I'm assuming. They get like three feet tall maybe taller,right? Be sweet to have a bay window that's glassed in with glass doors that swing open. Nice daydream I guess. lol

    To my thinking,the orchids and the ferns need a more permanent set up than what I've had going on...not that searching images helped with that any. ;)
    Truth to tell,I've wanted to put together more of a display tank forever and somehow the aquariums end up used as recovery units. Many of my plants are humidity junkies and after a while of being out of their comfort zone,they jones for a fix. Crazy thing is I recently got two tanks that were formerly used to keep hamsters or some rodent or other. Anyhoo,They're 20gal long,and I invert one and place it on top of the other and they are the same height as the 10gal units I have stacked in the same way. It's got potted plants in it at the moment,but it could be used as a display model if I took out the containers and planted directly...and added ferns and orchids and and..Gary,..you're an enabler aren't you?
    Seriously though the elaph is some kinda eye candy. Now I want one.
    I know what you mean rare and exotic. That's one way to put it. How about "it's a jungle in there"? =)

  • 12 years ago

    â¢Posted by asleep_in_the_garden To my thinking,the orchids and the ferns need a more permanent set up than what I've had going on...

    Depends on the orchids. Many get too big and do just as well out of a terr. On the other hand, there are orchids that will pretty much never outgrow an average sized terr.

    Display terrs are the way to go, IMO, if you are going to be having one in a location where it will be seen regularly like a livingroom.

    {{gwi:69788}}

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