The terminus " ant industrial plant " refers to a great group of plants calledmyrmecophytes , which evolve to have a beneficial family relationship with pismire .
One species that is sometimes naturalise by curious gardener is the maze plant ( Hydnophytum papuanum ) , which is also called the ant plant . It will last out of doors in USDA plant hardiness zone 10a and above , but it is typically grown as a houseplant .
The maze plant ask very little hands - on care and will stand neglect , but it call for the right turn condition to perform well , particularly when grow as a houseplant .
About Ant Plants
Over 100 genera of plant life are classified as myrmecophytes , all of which are native to the tropics . They all own adaptation to provide shelter and nutrient to ants . In turn , the ants protect the plants by stinging foraging animals who might eat the plant life , and they also help the industrial plant reproduce by transporting the seeds and consuming the verboten hull , which helps the cum bourgeon .
Ant plants provide welfare to ants within their lifelike home ground , * * but they do not draw in ants and will not cause an ant infestation . * * So you do n’t have to concern about growing one of these entrancing plants in your home .
Ant Plant Care
Ant industrial plant precaution is minimal when honorable grow conditions are provided . The good watering and feeding practices are specially crucial when growing ant plants , but they may also need pruning and occasional troubleshooting to prevent damage .
Watering Tips
Ant plants need water like to that for cacti and other succulent plant life . They produce best when kept somewhat wry , but they also need moisture to keep their caudex plump .
Tip
irrigate your ant industrial plant with distilled water or rain or else of strike water whenever possible .
Fertilizer Needs
Ant plant life need a temperate amount of fertilizer to support their ontogenesis , but they are also raw to salt buildup in the dirt , peculiarly when raise in a pot .
One sign of salinity buildup in the soil is a whiteish , lechatelierite - like crust that forms on the airfoil .
Pruning and Pest Control
Ant plants only need pruning to shorten the arm or to maintain a certain form . Prune only when the humidness is low and the growing metier is wry , because pruning under humid , wet conditions will create ideal conditions for bacterial growth and disease .
Wipe down your pruning shear with rubbing alcoholic beverage to pour down off any pathogen .
Ant plants rarely suffer from serious problems but can occasionally suffer from mealybug infestations when grown indoors or slug damage when grow outdoors .
Growing Ant Plants
develop ant plants under the right conditions will help keep your plant healthy and abbreviate the hazard of problems developing .
Light and Temperature
Ant plants involve brilliant , indirect igniter because verbatim sun is often too acute . unattackable sun can accentuate the plant and cause discolored foliage or a oecumenical decline in vigor .
If a potted ant plant develops discolored leaf or if it tends to droop during the hottest part of the solar day , render moving it to a dimmer positioning .
Ant plants grow best when temperatures are above 60 ° fluorine , but some kind will tolerate short period of temperatures in the gamey 30s .
Soil Conditions
Ant plants perform well when pot - bound . Plant ant plants in a modest good deal with drainage hole at the base and expend a tight - run out acquire culture medium . These epiphytic flora especially thrive in sphagnum moss or in lightweight raise compost amended with sliced bark .
Humidity Levels
Humidity is a central factor when grow ant plants at menage . They grow considerably when humidness is above 50 % but will not brook any serious scathe when acquire in desiccant conditions . To nurture humidity levels around the plant life , essay :
Warning
Too much moisture can cause fungal development on the foliage , so do n’t give the foliage continuously saturated .
