Ant Plant: A Field Guide

You scratch my back and I’ll give you a hollow, swollen leaf to live in… or something like that.

In the wild, Dischidia pectinoides has struck a deal with ants: Pollinate me and I’ll give you shelter. Fortunately, this room-and-board arrangement stops at the doorstep. The Ant Plant is the perfect bathroom dweller. It loves a bit of filtered light and humidity and doesn’t need soil—it’s an epiphyte. The Ant Plant hails from a family of eccentrics: climbers and vines with pocket leaves. It’s cousin is milkweed.

The Details: Everything You Need to Know About Ant Plants

Ant plants are best as houseplants. They are particular when it comes to heat, watering and soil so it’s best to understand the particulars before bringing one home or growing.

Heat, Humidity, and Sun

Ant plants prefer warm and humid tempuratures where temperatures need to be higher than 60 degrees. Although preferring a warm environment, ant plants should not get direct sunlight, making them ideal indoor house plants. The combination of warmth without direct sunlight make them great plants to place in the bathroom.

Watering Tips

Moist soil is preferred by the ant plant but overwatering is a big no-no.  Drainage is key to growing and maintaining a healthy and happy ant plant. Ant plants can sustain dry soil more than it can handle saturated soil.

Soil Preferences

Because ant plants prefer damp soil but can’t handle overwatering, the key is to have soil that offers proper drainage that doesn’t allow for water to collect. As Ant plants are best indoors, continuous fertilizing and checking of soil is key to maintain an ant plant

For more details on ant plants, read through the following articles.