Outdoor enclosure plant choices and second thoughts.

[MzLaurie11]

Btw i bought the swiss cheese plants at a trader joes!

 

[MzLaurie11]

Upon closer inspection i think you have a swiss alteady but its leaves are burning from too much sun. You might want to move it under some shade

 

[Lindasjackson]

I thought the rubber plants were toxic. They ooze a toxic substance when the leaves or branch are broken.

 

[Multivitamins]

I just love your project! I have fallen very fond of swiss cheese plants. They have large leaves for shade and sturdy stalks that rarely break. They also grow well and are easy to care for. I have had a leaf burn by being directly under the basking light but direct sun may be ok. Since you have the space, you might want to consider a rubber tree plant. I have one potted outside and it grows great and my veiled loves climbing in it as it can take the weight. As a matter of fact, most of my branches in in my 2x2x4 are from a rubber tree. you can find ones that are bent and tapered and great for creating a jungle gym. Keep us posted with pics.

I think the mini monstera has a very similar care set as the swiss cheese it doesn't seem to like the amount of direct sun this setup is going to be getting.
I have a few cham safe plants that I have just not incorporated into enclosures but still like to have for free-ranging, ficus Benjamina, as well as Ficus elastica, have been house/ yard plants for me / my chameleon. if I had a larger area for roots a rubber tree / ficus elastica would be a great option tho.

I think another few weeks and perhaps a good fertilizer watering and it'll start to be more photogenic

 

[Multivitamins]

I thought the rubber plants were toxic. They ooze a toxic substance when the leaves or branch are broken.

many of the ficus plants that are used have a sap that is an irritant. BUT can still be referenced in the "safe List" I found the ficus Benjamina / weeping fig to be a bad choice as my dude powerhouses thru his plants and would likely pay the price of breaking a leaf or branch. the ficus elastica is far more resilient and less likely to be snapped or broken so the sap is almost a nonissue due to the form the plant grows

 

[Multivitamins]

So I've been working on the enclosure but have had some setbacks.

Mainly spiders they are taking over not only my yard and garden but the enclosure. I've been removing the webs and trying to remove or kills spiders by hand.
I'm trying not to use any chemicals or pesticide since it is an enclosure for the chameleon and has a bunch of isopods springtails and even some mantids living in it. So spraying is kind of out of the question unless someone has some tips and tricks that won't kill my clean up crew / make the entire thing toxic to the chameleon.

The second issue I'm having is the San Diego sun is cooking some of the new growth on the vine. I'm using shade cloth and try to move the enclosure to suitable areas of shade/ sun.

 

[Lindasjackson]

Won’t the Cham eat the spiders?