Thursday, March 30, 2006
Ants and Plants
I heard somewhere that in terms of biomass, ants are maybe the most successful form of animal life on the planet. Everywhere you go, there will be ants. In the tropics, this is certainly true. In my kitchen, it seems to hold as well, if I haven't been diligent about spraying.
A lot of the plants I grow have natural associations with ants. I don't see these ants in the greenhouse, and when I do see ants in the greenhouse, I get them back out of the greenhouse right quick - they have a tendency to destroy the plants they nest in. However, in the wild, many of the plants I grow attract ants to bring them food or to protect them from being harmed. Here are a few of the ant plants:
Dischidia major/Dischidia rafflesiana - This vine grows its leaves into hollow pickle-shaped structures which house ants. I grow mine attached with some sphagnum moss ( long fiber ) to a cork plaque where it gets regular water, fertilizer and sun. It seems to like the situation as it's in flower right now, and continues to try to escape the plaque and colonize new territory. This plant is similar to Dischidia pectinoides, but has much stiffer and bigger ant leaves. I got it from Tropiflora many years ago when I visited their impressive facility outside Sarasota, FL.
Hydnophytum formaricarum - An epiphyte with a smooth, swollen, hollow base where ants take up residence. It readily makes beautiful orange berries when given sunlight and warmth. Doesn't take too happily to drying out, though. Given the rate at which this thing makes berries, it's a wonder that the nurseries are charging as much as they do.
Myrmecodia sp ( platyrea, whatever else ) - There are several clones of this floating around, but they are all quite similar to Hydnophytum. It has bigger, thinner leaves than Hydnophytum, and a more spiny, wrinkly base, but it still makes very similar orange berries. Both of these plants seem to do well in hanging baskets, but beware getting them too soaking wet or letting them dry out for too long.
Nepenthes bicalcarta - Carnivorous southeast asian pitcher plant with "fangs" below the pitcher. This beautiful plant lives in association with ants - whether as food or as protection, I do not know. I had a beautiful big plant of this in my old greenhouse, but it was a tragic casualty of the move. Now mine is small, but with aspirations of putting its first pitcher out there any day now.
Lecanopteris sinuosa - This truly beautiful fern, with a long, swollen yet slender spotted rhizome, allows nests of ants to live within it. I grow mine on cork bark with a lot of sun, a lot of water, and the occasional spray from the fertilizer spigot. There is a related genus Solanopteris, which is South American rather than Southeast Asian. Andreas Wistuba in Germany is selling quite a selection of Lecanopteris, along with his carnivorous plants.
There are a lot of other plants that live in assosciation with ants out there - orchids, anthuriums, other ferns, hoyas, and many more. They all have fascinating adaptations to their little evil, stinging, kitchen invading commensal partners. I think I'll just keep the two separate for now, thank you very much.
A lot of the plants I grow have natural associations with ants. I don't see these ants in the greenhouse, and when I do see ants in the greenhouse, I get them back out of the greenhouse right quick - they have a tendency to destroy the plants they nest in. However, in the wild, many of the plants I grow attract ants to bring them food or to protect them from being harmed. Here are a few of the ant plants:
Dischidia major/Dischidia rafflesiana - This vine grows its leaves into hollow pickle-shaped structures which house ants. I grow mine attached with some sphagnum moss ( long fiber ) to a cork plaque where it gets regular water, fertilizer and sun. It seems to like the situation as it's in flower right now, and continues to try to escape the plaque and colonize new territory. This plant is similar to Dischidia pectinoides, but has much stiffer and bigger ant leaves. I got it from Tropiflora many years ago when I visited their impressive facility outside Sarasota, FL.Hydnophytum formaricarum - An epiphyte with a smooth, swollen, hollow base where ants take up residence. It readily makes beautiful orange berries when given sunlight and warmth. Doesn't take too happily to drying out, though. Given the rate at which this thing makes berries, it's a wonder that the nurseries are charging as much as they do.Myrmecodia sp ( platyrea, whatever else ) - There are several clones of this floating around, but they are all quite similar to Hydnophytum. It has bigger, thinner leaves than Hydnophytum, and a more spiny, wrinkly base, but it still makes very similar orange berries. Both of these plants seem to do well in hanging baskets, but beware getting them too soaking wet or letting them dry out for too long.Nepenthes bicalcarta - Carnivorous southeast asian pitcher plant with "fangs" below the pitcher. This beautiful plant lives in association with ants - whether as food or as protection, I do not know. I had a beautiful big plant of this in my old greenhouse, but it was a tragic casualty of the move. Now mine is small, but with aspirations of putting its first pitcher out there any day now.Lecanopteris sinuosa - This truly beautiful fern, with a long, swollen yet slender spotted rhizome, allows nests of ants to live within it. I grow mine on cork bark with a lot of sun, a lot of water, and the occasional spray from the fertilizer spigot. There is a related genus Solanopteris, which is South American rather than Southeast Asian. Andreas Wistuba in Germany is selling quite a selection of Lecanopteris, along with his carnivorous plants.
There are a lot of other plants that live in assosciation with ants out there - orchids, anthuriums, other ferns, hoyas, and many more. They all have fascinating adaptations to their little evil, stinging, kitchen invading commensal partners. I think I'll just keep the two separate for now, thank you very much.
