Temperate rainforest

Plant profile

Asplenium ruta-muraria

Asplenium ruta-muraria is a small fern from temperate regions across Europe, East Asia and North America. It can be found on calcerous walls.

Plant profile

Bulbophyllum ambrosia

Hidden Bulbophyllum

Bulbophyllum clandestinum

Widely distributed epiphytic Bulbophyllum from humid forests of South and Southeast Asia into the western Pacific. Plants form creeping chains of pseudobulbs that carry a single leaf, producing small, often hidden flowers close to the rhizome. Intermediate temperatures, medium light and consistently moist, humid conditions suit it best.

Oblong Trias

Bulbophyllum oblongum

Cool to intermediate epiphyte from lower montane forests of northeast India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand. It carries clustered oblong pseudobulbs and small leaves, with short inflorescences of yellow to orange flowers. Prefers partial shade, high humidity and good air movement.

Sheathed Bulbophyllum

Bulbophyllum spathulatum

Cool to intermediate miniature from the eastern Himalayas and Indochina, growing on mossy branches between 1000 to 2000 m. It carries short, sheathed pseudobulbs and produces umbels of pink to orange flowers on slender stems. Best in partial shade, high humidity and evenly moist but airy media.

Green Parish’s Chiloschista

Chiloschista parishii 'Green'

Leafless Chiloschista form with greenish, colourful flowers on arching spikes, found in hot to warm lowland forests from India and Nepal to Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Grows best mounted in bright light with intermediate temperatures, frequent watering and very high humidity.

Asian Ghost Orchid

Chiloschista usneoides

Cool-growing leafless Chiloschista from montane forests of the western and eastern Himalayas and northern Thailand, typically at 1600 to 1700 m. Plants form pendent curtains of roots that carry many pale green flowers with white lips and a sweet fragrance. Needs bright filtered light, very high humidity and cool to intermediate temperatures.

Enchanting Dendrobium

Dendrobium bellatulum

Miniature member of section Formosae from montane forests of the eastern Himalaya, southern China and Indochina, usually on tree trunks between about 900-2100 m. Short canes carry a few leaves and produce large, white, tubular flowers with a yellow throat and purple markings. Best grown cool to intermediate with high humidity, medium light, and a distinct drier, brighter winter rest to encourage flowering.

Benson’s Dendrobium

Dendrobium bensoniae

Medium-sized epiphyte from moist forests of northeastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and nearby regions, typically on trees in lowland to lower montane forest around 500-1500 m. Canes are erect to pendulous and bear showy white flowers with a yellow and purple lip near the nodes. In cultivation it enjoys intermediate temperatures, bright filtered light, high humidity and a marked drier winter period after leaf fall.

Plant profile

Drosera anglica

Drosera anglica, commonly known as the great sundew or English sundew, is one of the most striking carnivorous plants of European peatlands and bog pools. This species is distinguished by its long, narrow, strap-shaped leaves, which lie low or gently arch over the surface of wet peat or shallow water. Each leaf is densely covered with red glandular tentacles that secrete shimmering droplets of sticky mucilage. Drosera anglica is strongly associated with open, waterlogged habitats, often growing directly in shallow bog pools, wet hollows, or floating sphagnum mats. It prefers full sun, cool temperatures, and consistently saturated, acidic conditions. The species occurs across parts of Northern and Western Europe. In early to mid-summer, slender flower stalks rise well above the trapping leaves, carrying small white flowers.

Plant profile

Drosera intermedia

Drosera intermedia, commonly known as the oblong-leaved sundew or spoonleaf sundew, is a delicate yet highly specialized carnivorous plant native to European bogs, fens, and wet heathlands. Unlike the flat rosette of Drosera rotundifolia, Drosera intermedia typically forms a more upright, semi-erect growth habit. Its narrow, elongated leaves rise from the center of the plant and are densely covered with red glandular tentacles that exude sticky droplets of mucilage. These glistening traps efficiently capture small flying and crawling insects, which are then slowly enveloped by the leaf as it curls inward to digest its prey. Drosera intermedia favors constantly wet conditions and is often found growing directly in shallow standing water or saturated sphagnum moss. It is characteristic of open, sun-exposed bog pools and wet depressions, where competition from larger plants is minimal. In summer, the plant produces slender flower stalks bearing small white blossoms.

Drosera rotundifolia

Drosera rotundifolia

Drosera rotundifolia, commonly known as the round-leaved sundew, is one of Europe’s most iconic carnivorous plants and a true symbol of nutrient-poor bog ecosystems. This small perennial forms a flat rosette of round, spoon-shaped leaves, each covered with fine red tentacles tipped with glistening droplets of sticky mucilage. Drosera rotundifolia thrives in acidic, water-saturated environments such as raised bogs, fens, and peatlands. It is widely distributed across northern and central Europe, including Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, and extends across much of the Northern Hemisphere. In summer, it produces delicate white flowers on long stalks that rise well above the sticky leaves: an elegant adaptation that protects pollinators from becoming unintended prey. Despite its modest size, the round-leaved sundew plays an important ecological role as an indicator species of intact, undisturbed bog habitats. Its presence signals clean water, low nutrient input, and a finely balanced microclimate.

Clemens’ Epigeneium

Epigeneium clemensiae

Small epiphytic species from dense forests of southern China, Laos and Vietnam, usually on tree trunks around 1000-1300 m. Compact pseudobulbs bear one or two leaves and short inflorescences with pale flowers produced over a long season. A cool to warm-intermediate grower, it prefers medium light, high humidity and evenly moist conditions with good drainage and air movement.

Common Pocket-moss

Fissidens taxifolius

Widely distributed moss across the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere (e.g. Europe and North America)

Plant profile

Hypnum cupressiforme

Hypnum cupressiforme is one of the most widespread and adaptable mosses in the world. It’s a classic “carpet-forming” pleurocarp moss and very relevant for naturalistic terraria, paludaria, and ecosystem-inspired displays. It is near-cosmopolitan and can be found across Europe, Asia, North & South America, Africa, and parts of Oceania. In temperate regions, it is extremely common, but it also tolerates cooler and slightly warmer climates. Because of its adaptability, it is often one of the first mosses to colonize new or disturbed habitats. There are multiple variants known under different names, including: Cypress-leaved Plaitmoss (var. cupressiforme) Plump Plaitmoss (var. heseleri) Great Plaitmoss (var. lacunosum) Supine Plaitmoss (var. resupinatum).

Plant profile

Lemmaphyllum microphyllum

Lemmaphyllum microphyllum, widely known as the Green Penny Fern or Japanese Beard Fern, is a miniature epiphytic fern native to East and Southeast Asia. Its natural origin spans regions of China, Japan, Korea, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, and various Asiatic Islands. This slow-growing, semi-succulent plant thrives in shaded, highly humid forests, where it grows as an epiphyte on tree trunks or as a sprawler on mossy rocks. It belongs to the family Polypodiaceae and was formally described by the botanist Carl Presl in 1851.

Ufermoos, Amblystegium riparium

Leptodictyum riparium

Global spread, except for Central Africa and South-Africa, Greenland, and India.

Amazon frogbite

Limnobium laevigatum

Amazon frogbite is a tropical floating plant from South and Central America.

Plant profile

Microgramma vacciniifolia

Microgramma vacciniifolia (often misspelled vaccinifolium) is an epiphytic creeping fern natively found throughout the American tropics, spanning Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. The species is widely distributed, with natural populations spanning from Brazil and Peru to Colombia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Bolivia. This miniature fern thrives in humid, warm microclimates and typically grows on trees (as an epiphyte) or on rocks, spreading through creeping rhizomes that allow it to "climb" across host surfaces. Because of its compact size and climbing habit, it is a popular plant for tropical terrariums and vivariums.

Yunnan Panisea

Panisea yunnanensis

Compact species originally described from Yunnan in China and now recorded from parts of the eastern Himalaya and Southeast Asia. It grows as an epiphyte or lithophyte in warm to cool monsoonal forest with a distinct wet and drier season and carries small bell shaped fragrant flowers on short spikes.

Brace's Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis braceana

High-elevation Phalaenopsis from Yunnan, China, occurring around 2600-3200 m on mossy trunks in cold cloud forest. Leaves are short and coriaceous; flowers are yellow to orange-brown with red markings. Thrives in cool to cold orchidarium conditions with high humidity, low light and frequent fine watering.

Plant profile

Phyllanthus niruri

Phyllanthus niruri is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. Its natural range spans from southern Texas, through Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, deep into South America (including Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina). Today, it has spread globally to tropical regions of Asia and Africa. Commonly known as chanca piedra, stonebreaker, or seed-under-leaf, the herb thrives in wet, tropical lowlands and disturbed soils. It is highly regarded in folk medicine for supporting liver health and treating kidney stones.

Plant profile

Phyllantus fluitans

Phyllanthus fluitans (red root floater) is a tropical, floating aquatic plant native to South America. It thrives in slow-moving or stagnant, warm, and nutrient-rich waters within the Neotropics. Widely used in the aquarium hobby, this species is recognized by its reddish roots and leaves that turn deep red under high lighting.

Plant profile

Pinguicula vulgaris

Pinguicula vulgaris, commonly known as the common butterwort, is a graceful carnivorous plant of cool, nutrient-poor wetlands and calcareous bogs across Europe. This perennial species forms a low, flat rosette of smooth, pale green to yellow-green leaves with a slightly greasy appearance. The leaf surface is covered with microscopic glandular hairs that secrete a sticky substance used to trap small insects. Once prey is caught, the leaf margins may gently curl inward, while digestive enzymes break down the insect and release essential nutrients, allowing the plant to survive in soils that are otherwise extremely poor. Pinguicula vulgaris occupies a different ecological niche from sundews. It typically grows in moist but not fully submerged habitats, such as bog margins, wet meadows, springs, and calcareous fens. It tolerates cooler temperatures and seasonal fluctuations in moisture, often experiencing cold winters and short growing seasons. In late spring to early summer, Pinguicula vulgaris produces elegant violet-purple flowers on slender stalks that rise well above the sticky leaves. The plant often retreats into a compact winter bud (hibernaculum).