Plant Hunt: Why are there no 3 ft. plants?

[Klyde O'Scope]

Went to 2 garden stores & a Home Despot this afternoon on a plant hunt.
All 3 had lots of 1 ft., 2 ft., 4 ft., and 5ft.+ plants, but nobody had any 3 ft. plants!
Are cham keepers now so numerous that all the 3 ft. plants have disappeared?
A 3 footer would still need to grow a bit, but cutting the top off of a 4 ft.+ plant really goes against my grain (especially because I have no idea how or where to do it!)

I also don't know how fast any of these 2 footers grow. I can put them on top of pots while they grow, but I don't know how fast they'll grow.

Didn't find any live bamboo, prickley pear cactus, or carnivorous plants, which kind of surprised me; everybody was stinking with them last year. Do we blame that on COVID too? Is everyone staying home and gardening???

The sticker shock was... shocking!
Anybody know how fast a rubber plant (Ficus elastica) grows?
Anybody got any suggestions for a fast-growing climbing ivy? I've got a piece of egg crate in the back of the enclosure, and I thought something dense & green would be nice climbing up & covering it. ?

 

[CBee7726]

LOL yes everyone decided to stay home and garden this year... there was a while that even finding basic gardening tools and supplies was a pain.
I had some luck with local greenhouses/ nurseries for oddly sized plants, although you'll pay more and it's hit- or- miss with what you'll find.

Otherwise, can you mount the pots on the sides of the cage to prop them up higher? Like the dragon ledges?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Otherwise, can you mount the pots on the sides of the cage to prop them up higher?

I figured that, but I'm looking for 2-4 center piece plants.

 

[CBee7726]

I figured that, but I'm looking for 2-4 center piece plants.

Oh that's a fair point. I think my palm tree was ~3ft when I bought it from a local nursery. But since it's been repotted and I've had it a while it's a bit taller than that now.

 

[Sunnysenorita]

Not sure if available where you are but hibiscus tend to be about that size at my local nurseries and greenhouses.

 

[MissSkittles]

Philodendron is a fast grower.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Not sure if available where you are but hibiscus tend to be about that size at my local nurseries and greenhouses.

They're plentiful here right now, but only the deciduous variety. The tropical evergreen variety don't seem to be common here.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Philodendron is a fast grower.

Thanks. We did see some large leaf philodendrons that we really liked, but all were about 2 ft.
Do you happen to know if the large leaf varieties are also fast-growing?

 

[MissSkittles]

Thanks. We did see some large leaf philodendrons that we really liked, but all were about 2 ft.
Do you happen to know if the large leaf varieties are also fast-growing?

No idea. I was thinking about a philodendron house plant to grow on the egg crate. I have a monstera outside that has grown quite fast. @snitz427 would probably have some great plant suggestions for you.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Well, I was thinking about the large leaf philodendron for a center piece plant (if that wasn't clear).
A reg. philodendron might be good for a climber. My Missus suggested a Tradescantia zebrina.
I don't really know plants except for some succulents I picked out for O' Stinkeye's enclosure.

I saw some really nice Mass Canes, but either 2' or 5'...

I'll see if @snitz427 pops in...

 

[snitz427]

Schefflera Amate is fast growing, easy, tropical, large leaved plant. Its my preference in most cages. Its sold at around 2’ but will grow relatively quickly in a cham cage. Mine grow about a foot every 1-2 months.

Schefflera Arboricola also grows quickly in cham cages.

Monstera Delicosa is the plant you are referring to, I think. Its often mistakenly labeled as a split leaf philodendron. I have them in one cage but am removing it. They get quite large, but not a lot of leaves or stem, so I feel like they are taking up valuable space without providing much. They also need excellent drainage or they will rot.

Lots of philodendron species will climb up a piece of cork or branch - they actually get larger as they climb, and stay smaller if not given something to climb.

Some of my fav cham cage tropicals right now are:

• Schefflera Amate
• Schefflera Arboricola (not my fav for looks but theyre very functional!)
• Philodendron Bipennifolim (horsehead)
• Rhaphiadophora tetrasperma (mini monstera)
• Philodendron Mayoi or Tahiti
• Monstera Adansonii
• Philodendron Burle Marx (upright growth vs climbing/vining)
• Wandering Jew / Dude (not really tropical but grows/climbs very quickly)
• Other philos like Painted Lady, Pink Princess ($$), etc are very easy to grow.

You can also create your own center piece with cork bark, and make it look like a tree - instead of looking for a large plant. You can use the top of the bark like a planter to add foliage to the “tree.”

I really like Ficus Allii trees, but they are trees - so you need to prune them or they will outgrow the space. I use them all over my house for free ranging. I have several other trees, but the Allii’s leaves are very pretty.

 

[snitz427]

Here are some pics of some of the above mentioned plants.

This is cork bark I zip tied together to make a tree trunk. It looks sad here as it was just planted with 2’ tall s. amate. In the second photo, which is more recent, you can see the plants have grown and filled in quite densely. I need to trim it, actually! Dont be afraid to let the plants grow in to their space.





This is another cage when planted with smaller plants, maybe 6 months ago. This was after it grew in a bit, from smaller 2’ plants. I dont have a current photo, but the trees are growing sideways against the top of the cage. I need to cut it back big time now.


This is as best a pic I have of it now... in the left corner is monstera which is starting to get root rot. Im pulling them as rhey are taking up 1/3rd of the atrium.



Here’s qn old pic of Clarice’s cage before it grew in. You can see a philodendron pink princess in the background vining and climbing up the cork. Many philodendrons will climb and develop thick stems.

 

[snitz427]

Here’s Desi’s cage, which is starting to fill out. It will be twice as thick/dense in a month or so due to the plants i used (horsehead philo, wandering jew, monstera adansonii). I really like horsehead philos - not because their leaves are particularly striking, but because they will grow wild and vine everywhere. The large leaves you see at the bottom right, as well as the stem and leaves in the center going all the way to the top - are all the same philodendron bipennifolum (horsehead).

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Thanks so much snitz427; this has been extremely helpful! ?

One of your pics gave me another idea too; I have a small grove of birch out back that I had forgotten about (haven't been back there in years). I think it'll be worth venturing out there for some branches.

 

[Sunnysenorita]

They're plentiful here right now, but only the deciduous variety. The tropical evergreen variety don't seem to be common here.

Bummer! I've gotten spoiled in charleston SC as far as plant availability ? what about a fiddle leaf fig? I know they get massive but a smaller one might do you well for a year or 2

 

[harmount]

Went to home depot yesterday...half as many plants. Maybe shipping problems with covid. I had a Ficus that was around three feet that grew very slowly. It worked great.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Update: Went to another garden store yesterday (still have a few more to try). Got a nice 4-braided trunk ficus @ 40" and a really bushy 26" schefflera. I would've like a braided trunk schefflera as well, but they were all too tall. They had a nice mass cane the right height, but $120‽ Had to pass. Same for all the fancy-shaped & sculpted leaf plants.

Also got a nice pitcher plant, but no flytraps or sundews—nobody stocking them or live bamboo this year.

Couple/three more places to try—still need a rubber plant as well.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Went to 2/3 of the remaining places today, and back to the first (previous) garden store on the way home.

Lucky find: I GOT MY MASS CANE! (dracaena massangeana) with a dracaena trifasciata, a dracaena deremensis, and another dracaena I haven't ID'd yet, all in the same pot—basically, a potful-o-dracaena, for half of what the other place wanted for just the mass cane. The big one is 44" (Whew!) ?

Also got a 30" rubber plant (ficus elastica), an English ivy for crawling up the back wall egg crate, and a couple of lithops for the bearded dragon enclosure (to replace the one he ate , the little turd.)

Apart from a few fill-ins, I think I'm set.

Time to relax and settle in for Lovecraft Country this evening....