From: "windy aubrey" <exotics at hawaii.rr.com> on 2009.04.24 at 00:51:08(19275)
Hi Paul,
I love the idea of a rock/water wall. >From the plants I grow maybe I can offer you a few suggestions.
I think you could use many of the epiphytic ferns. Some that would 'work' well would be species of Microgramma, Asplenium, Elaphoglossum, Davallia, Pyrrosia, Microsorum, Polypodium, etc. There are several species of Microgramma that sty miniature in size and will develop into an attractive blanket of tiny fronds.
You might want to consider other ferns too, like Pteris, Adiantum, Blechnum, Microlepia, but beware of Nephrolepis.
Nepholepis tends to become a weed and will either over spore on to your rock surfaces or send out it's thin stolons that produce tubers and will become next to impossible to remove once the tubers grow in between the rock crevasses.
Selaginella loves moist rocks and there are several species offering different looks, colors and growing patterns.
Lycopodium, the epiphytic types of club moss, would also do nicely.
If you want aroids, the Homalomena love water and some species stay low growing. Cyrtosperma enjoy being wet too, and so do the Spathiphyllum. The species Spathiphyllum florabundum stay small and compact.
You might want to try something like Rhipsalis too. Small cuttings could be tucked into the spaces between the rocks and it will grow nicely, being epiphytic and would look good being pendulant.
Rhizomatous Begonias do really well growing around moist rocks, and they offer some beautiful foliage color and patterns as well as tall flower spikes. Some are also miniature, or small growing so they won't crowd out other plants.
Re: Carnivorous plants, could a Nepenthes be used? Although I grow Nepenthes mostly in hanging baskets I know in nature they ramble on the ground around rocks and such. I recently planted one to grow around some Volcanic rocks outlining a planting area and it seems happy growing and creeping around.
I hope some of these plants will give you more ideas for your wall, and when it is complete you will share some images with us.
Windy
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