Zamioculus

[Hampton]

Need a new plant for my Panther cham. i just upgraded him to a 24x24x48 in cage... maybe a tad bit unnecessary but i ordered online and didnt quit realize how much bigger it was. now i am trying to find another plant to go in with him and i cant seem to find a ficus strong enough to support his weight. he has a schleffera...i bought the large and realized it was toxic..opps now he has the correct kind of schleffera but it cant support him either. a small ficus and a pothos are also both in his cham mansion. hampton is spending most of his time on his vines because nothing holds his weight. I found a zamioculus that might solve the problem but i was curious if anyone knew whether or not it was toxic. thanks in advance for your replies! any advise on filling this space better would be appreciated too!

 

[Olimpia]

I think your best bet is to get some thicker branches. They love the plants as cover, but mine need branches to actually climb on. I'd go trim branches from a tree or look around your neighborhood and see when someone trims their branches, something like that. Because you're not really going to get small trees that have a lot of sturdy branches at that size.

 

[Hampton]

thanks i already have a few vines in there for highways, i was just hoping for a more attractive answer. something pretty i could use. thanks for your suggestion i might add a couple of horizontal bars in there for some extra movement.

 

[Olimpia]

I know what you mean. At the show in Daytona this year I ended up finding some really pretty (if you can say that) branches that were sturdy and a reddish brown, and they add the support I need without being spindly rough branches from random trees. Also, mulberry branches are very attractive, if you have a tree anywhere nearby. Their branches are curly and are also pretty nice.

Otherwise, I doubt you'll find a small tree/bush with branches thick and sturdy enough. My umbrella trees have done the best job though, but some are thicker than others.

Good luck!

 

[Hampton]

thanks for the tip ill be on the look out for something that will add just the right touch! hampton gets himself in the most awkward positions somehow and will end up trying to get from the artificial vines and through these dinky little plants and sometimes will fall which in turn scares me so i got to figure out how to make this new cage "commuter friendly"

 

[DGray]

ZZ Plant

Need a new plant for my Panther...
I found a zamioculus that might solve the problem but i was curious if anyone knew whether or not it was toxic. thanks in advance for your replies! ...

Here is the results for a search on your plant, Zamioculcas (correct spelling)
I have researched the plant and can not find any cases of animal poisonings in the literature. It is, however in the Aroid family, and it is very likely to have high levels of oxalic acid crystals, which means it might be irritating if eaten.
I would not use it in a habitat with a grazing species.
My other comments are here.

 

[SSimsswiSS]

Need a new plant for my Panther cham. i just upgraded him to a 24x24x48 in cage... maybe a tad bit unnecessary but i ordered online and didnt quit realize how much bigger it was. now i am trying to find another plant to go in with him and i cant seem to find a ficus strong enough to support his weight. he has a schleffera...i bought the large and realized it was toxic..opps now he has the correct kind of schleffera but it cant support him either. a small ficus and a pothos are also both in his cham mansion. hampton is spending most of his time on his vines because nothing holds his weight. I found a zamioculus that might solve the problem but i was curious if anyone knew whether or not it was toxic. thanks in advance for your replies! any advise on filling this space better would be appreciated too!

If you can wait another month, you should be able to pick up a good sized ficus at a local Home Depot/ Lowe's/ Target, for cheap. As they make way for their Christmas Trees, they usually discount the houseplants to make room for the holiday stuff.