The first time I heard about ant plants, I presumed it’d be a plant providing a red carpet for all sorts of ants to roll into the house! Despite serving a humble abode to insects, the ant plant won’t attract sneaky snouts if grown indoors.
Ant Plants (or Dischidia Pectinoides) are quirky yet beautiful plants that have a mysterious and somewhat fascinating appearance. They offer a diverse palette of features everyone covets in their plant collection.
What’s most intriguing about the ant plant are its Ravioli-shaped leaves. The succulent leaves appear plump and juicy. If you slice them open, you won’t find a dense ricotta filling but a hollow vessel instead.
Yes, the name might appear quite daunting, and it’s not a misnomer. The Ant Plant loves to host ants! It belongs to the same family as the milkweeds.
You will enjoy growing and nurturing this plant because of its low-maintenance nature. They make excellent candidates for hanging baskets and make small spaces look like something from an enchanted jungle! My favorite place to sport them is in the bathroom.
Continue reading this article to learn more about this intriguing exotic botanical and how to grow and care for it (without any ants, of course!)
Table of Contents
Meet the Ant Plant: Basic Knowledge & Origins
The Ant Plant is an exotic tropical botanical and is home to ants in its natural habitat, just as the name implies.
In short, this intriguing plant has struck a deal with ants: the plant provides nutrients and shelter to the ant colony, while these ants protect this plant against various kinds of pests and herbivores. So, it’s a win-win situation! This sort of mutual relationship is scientifically termed ‘symbiosis’.
These plants are most commonly found growing on tropical trees, such as paperbarks and mangroves. The Ant Plant hails from a family of eccentrics.
In its natural tropical habitat, the Ant Plant is mainly found growing on trunks of trees. The exterior of the plant is subject to much colloquy. It has a tubular-shaped structure with naturally-occurring swollen chambers.
These hollow cavities and stems are actually where these ants reside, feeding on plant secretion full of nutrients.
The Ant Plant doesn’t require any sort of soil to thrive, as it is an epiphyte. It will easily survive with the right amount of sunlight, filtered air, and water.
Family Type: Rubiaceae
Common Name: Ant Plant
Botanical Name: Dischidia Pectinoides Hydnophytum
Plant Type: Myrmecophytes
Size: 5 inches to 7 inches tall
Native Area: Northwest coast of Borneo, East Malaysia, New Guinea, and North Australia
Sun Exposure: Indirect sunlight
Soil Consistency: Requires no soil, thrives well in a terrarium or a shell
Soil pH: Epiphytic; well-drained and moist soil
Toxicity: Toxic to animals
Common Pests: Aphids, soft scales, mealybugs, and whiteflies
Ant Plant Varieties
The Ant Plant is one of mother nature’s bounties bestowed upon us. It contributes to biodiversity and the beautification of flora and fauna.
There are around 100 different Ant Plant varieties, but each of these varieties shares one common characteristic: a symbiotic association with the colony of ants.
Monolena Primulifora Ant Plant
The leaves of this botanical creature steal the show: luscious green textured foliages that express subtle tones of burgundy on the opposite end of the leaf.
These strokes of burgundy can also be speculated on the front side of the foliage, giving it a rustic and aesthetically appealing texture.
This Ant Plant variety requires the same temperature and growing conditions as any other Ant Plant.
Hydnophytum Ant Plant
Hydrnophytum is another Ant Plant variety found in abundance in Southeast Asia.
For a healthy growing Hydnophytum, all you will require is bright and indirect sunlight, high humidity levels, and moist soil with minimum watering.
When this Ant Plant variety fully matures, you might spot small, white star-shaped flowers set abloom!
How to Care for an Ant Plant
The Ant Plant dwells perfectly well indoors. It loves every bit of bright and indirect light and doesn’t need any soil or similar medium to thrive in (it’s an epiphyte!).
So, if you’re planning to grow an Ant Plant yourself, here are some quick takeaways on how you can care for this unique plant:
Sunlight
The most preferred setting for an Ant Plant would be bright, indirect sunlight. An ideal location for your indoor Ant Plant would be placing it close to bright, sunny windows.
Place your Ant Plant no more than 1 ft away from a south-facing window to maximize its growth potential. Prolonged exposure to low-intensity sunlight is discouraged as it would hamper the growth process.
If an Ant Plant receives less sunlight than it should, it will put up a faux appearance of enlarged and repugnant stems with comparatively attenuated tubers- destroying its natural look!
Soil
Being an epiphyte, the Ant Plant can grow seamlessly without soil; this explains why it can grow perfectly well in terrariums.
The Ant Plant prefers damp soil. Establishing a drainage system holds paramount importance because these exotic babies are not fond of receiving heaps of water!
Adding small amounts of perlite mixed with your regular cactus soil from the store would do the trick!
Water
Yes, the Ant Plant loves moist and damp soil. However, too much watering is a big no-no! Not only will it discourage proper growth of the plant, but its roots will also become susceptible to rot!
Proper drainage is the ultimate key to a healthy Ant plant.
Ensure you water your Ant Plant only when the top layer of the soil has completely dried out. Remember- your Ant Plant will be able to withstand dry soil more than it could tolerate saturated soil!
During the winter season, you might want to cut back on watering your Ant Plant.
Temperature
The Ant Plant thrives in humid and warm climates. If you live in colder climates, it’s time to put those diffusers to good use.
The ideal temperature setting for your plant should not fall below 60 degrees Farhenheit under any circumstance.
The Ant plant can grow quite comfortably in temperatures as high as 90 degrees F.
Fertilizer
Ant Plant grows at a prolonged rate and doesn’t require much fertilizer. The Ant Plant gets all the energy needed to thrive from sunlight rather than a fertilizer.
Replacing your Ant Plant’s soil regularly isn’t encouraged. Just once a year would bode it well.
Propagation
When an Ant Plant has fully matured, this very plant will produce an abundance of berries. One single berry will consist of two Ant Plant seeds. These berries are typically harvested when they ripen fully.
One must not store these small and elongated seeds. Instead, they should be sown immediately once removed from the berries.
For successful propagation, wash these seeds with water, and make sure to cleanse away any mucus. Plant these seeds on moist coconut husks, and allow them to sprout.
Problems with the Ant Plant
Ants
A dreadful fear surrounding the Ant plants lies in the name itself: ants! One of the most common reasons ants seek refuge in the ant-plant is because of the presence of honeydew-producing insects.
Ants devour this secretion from honeydew-producing insects and would even store it for future consumption. If you wish to get rid of the ants, it’s imperative to knock off the insects first. An insecticidal soap, as discussed earlier, would do just about the job!
Drooping leaves
Drooping Ant Plant foliages hint at more serious issues hindering plant growth, such as overwatering, lack of humidity, or a drastic fall in temperature.
Ask Away: The FAQ Section
How can I get rid of ants in my indoor Ant Plant?
To get rid of ants from your Ant Plant, purchase a pouch of concentrated insecticidal soap, and mix only two tablespoons with a quart of water.
Fill any bucket or tub you can find, and soak your plant for about 20 minutes. Make sure to fill the bucket with this mixture till it barely reaches the potting soil.
How big do Ant Plants get?
Indoor Ant Plants can grow up to 9 inches tall, covering spaces up to 3 inches wide.
Where else can I grow an Ant Plant?
Because Ant Plants are epiphytes, you can easily grow them without any soil in terrariums or even in a shell.
