Local plants for local frogs?

[daybr4ke]

I've been searching for a number of plants at home depot, Wal-Mart, etc, and started thinking...I've got Pacific Treefrogs, a local species. Maybe using some local plant species would make them more comfortable. Even if they don't care, it'd be cheaper than buying plants and a nice way to add some variety and personality to a vivarium. I've located some local nurseries I can ask for info and cross reference for info on local plants. Thanks for reading.

[Larry Wardog]

I've been searching for a number of plants at home depot, Wal-Mart, etc, and started thinking...I've got Pacific Treefrogs, a local species. Maybe using some local plant species would make them more comfortable. Even if they don't care, it'd be cheaper than buying plants and a nice way to add some variety and personality to a vivarium. I've located some local nurseries I can ask for info and cross reference for info on local plants. Thanks for reading.

Local ferns and ivy do best in vivariums


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[daybr4ke]

Thanks so much for the reply!! I found mold in my Treefrog's current setup, so I'm accelerating my plan. I've been reading about what to look for in plants, and I think I'm going to go on an expedition and take some cuttings sometime soon, probably at a nearby lake, lake Chabot, which plays host to the frog species in question. I'm planning to take pictures to try to I.D. some plants and find some useful ones. Any other advice would be appreciated.

[Larry Wardog]

An iris will grow but you will have to cut it back time from time. It dies and comes back and it grows very slow after a certain point. It's very difficult to try plants. They mostly are trial and error especially locals. Keep us updated on what you find


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[daybr4ke]

Will do! Thanks a lot, Larry. I haven't made my trip to the lake yet, but should be pretty soon. I've been considering whether or not to mix some local plants with a few less local more proven plants, and possibly some of the naturalized species I've been looking into. One annoying and recurring issue seems to be that many of the plants I have in my garden are not native at all. Right now I am planning to contact 2 local plant nurseries, and all else failing, seeing if I can find some assistance from someone at UC Berkely. Hopefully I'll have something more to add to this thread soon.

[daybr4ke]

After bumbling through Cal Flora, Wikipedia, and some other resources, I have a list of candidates to check into. My girlfriend's dad had suggestions on native fern types, and I ended up finding a very likely candidate, the California Maidens Hair Fern. However, I'll have to buy one somewhere, since collecting a cutting from the wild runs the risk of spreading the fungus-like organism that causes Sudden Oak Death. Nothing is ever easy!
I also realized I didn't know what kind of soil and beneficial organisms(like isopods and springtails) would be used in a temperate vivarium. Originally I planned on ABG Mix or reptisoil(or a similar alternative) mixed with other stuff, but hadn't considered that ABG is intended for tropical vivariums. Now I'm not quite sure what to use.

[daybr4ke]

So after some searching, west coast native evergreen plants, especially Vines and smaller plants, are hard to come by. Are deciduous plants worth using? I'm looking into Rubus Ursinus, the Pacific Blackberry. There is a thornless cultivar or hybrid growing from the neighbor's yard behind our house...it grows over the fence at a prodigious rate, and has very dark leaves, which I've read indicates it is efficient in photosynthesis, which is good for plants indoors.

[John]

Frankly I think you're overthinking it. I would buy a nice pothos plant from a garden center or big box hardware store and give it a good rinse in case there are chemical residues on the leaves. Perfect robust plant and these frogs will love it. Also impossible to kill that plant and it does well in low light. Pothos is also called Devil's Ivy. It's scientific name is Epipremnum aureum.