Finally! I can get a plant... suggestions?

[camimom]

Ok, so now that the weather has been warming up, my one and only store that sells plants (lowes) finally got a shipment of plants in. Since I still need a live plant for my Camo, I'm taking suggestions on the best plant to get.

To help with the decision:

Male veiled. 4 weeks old.

Small mesh cage, 2x1x2ish (dont know exacts offhand) (only until hes older and is more stable, then he gets a big one)

I want a plant that is pretty, maybe some color, but is safe and easy to climb. Also must be a bit small so that it can fit in cage.

 

[brandychams]

if you want color go for a hibiscus their flowers are beautiful but they require alot of light to keep thier leaves maybe get two so you can switch them out

 

[KatCham]

schefflera arboricola is quite popular (umbrella plant)

hibiscus another popular choice, nice flowers

ficus

pothos

otherwise there's a page of safe plants here:

http://www.flchams.com/safe_plant_list.asp

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

In my experience: pothos is a vine so you may need to hang it from the top but it's pretty, very hardy and fills up the cage nicely as it grows. Nearly impossible to kill. Scheffelera (umbrella plant) work well but are easy to overwater and die quickly when that happens. Hibiscus is about impossible to keep indoors so you'd have to have another one (or two) outside to switch it out with. If you get a scheffelera I would take out the soil and mix it half and half with sand to help with drainage.

 

[camimom]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm gonna go to Lowes tomorrow and see wht they have.

 

[pennington]

Swiss Cheese Plant or Devils Ivy. Both beautiful large leaf plants. I'm getting some Bromieliads in soon but I'm not sure how they suit Chameleons. They should be fine because they are low plants that will just look the part, he shouldn't bother with them down on the floor.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Swiss Cheese Plant or Devils Ivy. Both beautiful large leaf plants. I'm getting some Bromieliads in soon but I'm not sure how they suit Chameleons. They should be fine because they are low plants that will just look the part, he shouldn't bother with them down on the floor.

Beware with that, my veiled tried to eat a fake plant down on the bottom. If it's toxic better not take any chances!

 

[camimom]

If toxic it's not going in my cage. This is my first cham. No chances! Only had him like a week.

 

[brandychams]

Bromeliads are safe

 

[pennington]

Super...

Bromeliads are safe

Good to hear! I thought it was safe becuase I use it in the dartfrog tanks. The pineapple is the largest Bromieliad.

 

[brandychams]

beautiful as well i like to use them in my pygmy tanks

 

[pennington]

Agreed...

beautiful as well i like to use them in my pygmy tanks

Yes I agree, they are great. Hello New York.

I await my Bromieliads but they are sending a range so who knows what species I'll be getting. Hope not a Pineapple because I'm gonna' need a new terrarium!

 

[DGray]

bromeliads get bigger

....
The pineapple is the largest Bromieliad.

(sic)

Not quite... There are many bromeliads larger. Puya raimondii is many times larger and has a flower stalk over 36 ft. (10 m.) tall.

Bromeliads do not present a danger of poisoning to animals. A few people have an allergic reaction to some species.

 

[ChameleonRave]

I currently have 1 ficus, 3 schefflera arboricola, and 2 pothos, plus 4 hanging pothos in my house. I just got my ficus yesterday and i love it! my schefflera grow fast but they tend to lose leaves a lot (not from being eaten but they fall off or get burnt by the bulb (the plant is too big for the cage). Whatever you choose I'm sure that you will love it and so will Camo!
Zac

 

[jandie]

i personally LOVE hibiscus flowers....always have...but they also get over-watered very easily...aside from the light issue....

so far...for the blooms and ease of care, i am loving camelias.....

the only problem though....even if you replant....they have some sort of bug...(not mites) that tend to thrive/live in the blooms...and i don't know what to do about it.... they die with mite spray...lol....but i seem to have no way to get rid of them because they're INSIDE the blooms?

never have found one on any of our chams...and they all seem to be healthy, so i'm not sure what they are, but i would love to figure out a way to not have them....

my ficus seem to lose leaves a lot..... maybe it's my "black thumb"...lol....

 

[Synapse]

Pothos has helped me naturally maintain the cage humidity at between 60-80% which is very nice considering it is very dry here around this time of the year. I have a crapload of aquariums to maintain and one less plug I have to stick in an outlet the better. Pothos is great and hangs on vines. Just make sure you clean it well.

 

[ChameleonRave]

i personally LOVE hibiscus flowers....always have...but they also get over-watered very easily...aside from the light issue....

so far...for the blooms and ease of care, i am loving camelias.....

the only problem though....even if you replant....they have some sort of bug...(not mites) that tend to thrive/live in the blooms...and i don't know what to do about it.... they die with mite spray...lol....but i seem to have no way to get rid of them because they're INSIDE the blooms?

never have found one on any of our chams...and they all seem to be healthy, so i'm not sure what they are, but i would love to figure out a way to not have them....

my ficus seem to lose leaves a lot..... maybe it's my "black thumb"...lol....

the lady that helped me buy mine (owner of the local plant shop) told me that they are very touchy when watering, that they are a tropical plant and you don't want water sitting at the bottom of the water tray just enough that it says moist.
and that mistings for the chameleon should take care of most of the watering but watering once or so a week would be enough.

 

[camimom]

Interesting. I think Im gonna try to find a small ficus for now. I have a small cage, 2lx1wx2h since he is so small. i didnt want a huge cage cuz i read that babies are clumsy and fall alot, and I didnt want him to have too far to fall.
I thiink once i upgrade the cage, Ill go for a pothos or a hibiscus.

 

[pennington]

(sic)

Not quite... There are many bromeliads larger. Puya raimondii is many times larger and has a flower stalk over 36 ft. (10 m.) tall.

Bromeliads do not present a danger of poisoning to animals. A few people have an allergic reaction to some species.

You ruined my fact! how dare you. Damn wikipedia!