With a very unique niche in the ecosystem of South American rainforests, Marcgravia takes hold as something of a transforming act. First, the plants start out in their immature, stubby, vining growth stage; small, overlapping leaves held with no petiole to a ridged, fragile stem. Once it’s able to cling to a surface, usually a tree trunk, this stem maintains its small stature as it climbs, usually a few meters up; when it terminates the growth of the small vine. Large, spectacular leaves, more tapestry than vegetable, emerge from the stem’s sides, arcing out and downwards until intricate, beautiful basket-shaped flowers grow and blossom. However, in cultivation; the terrarium environment isn’t suited to growing Marcgravia past their juvenile/immature form, where they maintain as an adorable, diminutive vine, with velvety leaves and silver midribs, which shimmer like glitter. For the collector ready to set-up a terrarium; Marcgravia makes for a perfect carpeting plant that easily transitions into a background/wall cover, covering ugly, bare wall patches in little button-leaves that provide an unparalleled backdrop for other statement plants.
