Soleirolia in a terrarium: the complete guide
Baby's tears forms a cushion of tiny round leaves within a few weeks. Light, humidity, trimming, and the trap set by its vigour.
In this guide
Soleirolia, known as baby's tears or mind-your-own-business, forms a dense cushion of tiny round leaves of a soft green within a few weeks. It is the fastest ground cover in a closed terrarium, and by far the easiest. Its one fault is its vigour: without trimming, it covers its neighbours and its own middle ends up smothering itself.
Identity card
| Botanical name | Soleirolia soleirolii |
| Other names | Baby's tears, mind-your-own-business, Corsican creeper |
| Origin | Corsica, Sardinia, the western Mediterranean basin |
| Size under glass | 3 to 8 cm tall, unlimited spread |
| Growth | Very fast |
| Closed terrarium | Yes, very easy |
| Open terrarium | Not advised in a heated room |
| Light | Bright indirect to partial shade |
| Humidity | High |
| Temperature | 12 to 25 °C, tolerates cool rooms |
| Difficulty | Very easy |
What it brings
A continuous ground, straight away. Where moss takes several weeks to anchor and close up its joins, soleirolia spreads and covers within a month. For a composition you want to look finished quickly, it is the most effective option.
Its very fine texture plays the same role of scale as selaginella, with a lighter green and a more domed habit. It follows the relief, spills over a stone, hangs down along a root.
It also takes cool conditions better than other terrarium plants: a room at 15 °C in winter does not bother it.
Light
Bright and indirect. It tolerates partial shade, but a cushion short of light stretches, and becomes loose and pale instead of tight.
No direct sun, which scorches it within a few hours under glass — see Terrarium too hot.
Substrate and planting
An airy terrarium substrate that holds a little moisture. Rinse the root ball, divide it if it is large, and lay the fragments flat, pressing them down lightly: they root where they touch.
There is no need for much. Three or four small fragments cover a 15 cm area within a month.
Trimming, which is not optional
This is the point to remember. Soleirolia does not stop on its own:
- it covers slow plants, which weaken underneath;
- it climbs the glass, where the stems rot on damp contact;
- its middle smothers when the cushion gets too thick — no more light or air, and the area turns brown.
Trim it with scissors roughly every two months. For a browned middle, do not hesitate to cut it back hard in patches: the plant grows again from the base within two to three weeks. It is one of the few terrarium plants you can cut right back without risk.
Take the clippings out of the terrarium: left in place, they break down and feed moulds.
Common problems
Brown middle to the cushion. The cushion is too thick. Cut it back hard, it recovers quickly.
Long stems and widely spaced leaves. Not enough light.
A cushion that wilts all at once. Not enough water — it is among the first to show it. See Terrarium too dry.
Soft brown base, soaked substrate. Too much water — see Terrarium too humid.
What to pair it with
Anything that likes humidity and grows fast enough not to be covered over: fittonia, Ficus pumila, ferns. Be careful with peperomia and slow plants, which it smothers if you do not keep an eye on it.
One tip on composition: do not mix it with moss in the same area. The two compete for the surface, and soleirolia always wins. Give it one side, and leave the other to the moss.
Our selection is in the tropical plants section.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Is soleirolia invasive in a terrarium?
It grows fast and covers everything it reaches. Planted out in the garden it has a reputation for being invasive. Under glass, a trim every two months is enough to keep it in check.
Can it be mistaken for moss?
From a distance, yes: it forms a dense cushion of a similar light green. Close up, you can see real round leaves carried on fine stems, where moss has neither stems nor leaves in the strict sense.
Why is the middle of my cushion turning brown?
The cushion is thickening and the middle no longer gets light or air. Cut it back hard in patches: the plant grows again from the base within two to three weeks.
Will it take an open terrarium?
Badly, in a heated room: it wilts as soon as the air dries out. In a closed terrarium, it is very easy.
