This is another story of a plant that underwent prosperity, decline and resurgence in the hermetosphere. Follow the astonishing development of a small begonia from Borneo step by step.
Begonia lichenora was placed in a container together with a Labisia more than two years ago. The fern Davallia parvula was added a few months later. The creeping Begonia spread rapidly over the entire slope I had built for it and soon began to bloom (see the pair oft pictures below).
After this flowering, the entire begonia colony on the slope collapsed and died. Only a few shoots at the base of the Labisia survived. For months, thousands of springtails were busy decomposing the dead plant material on the slope (see the pair of pictures below).
For a long time, I was unsure whether the few remaining shoots would survive. But then, much more slowly than the first time, the Begonia began to repopulate the slope. In addition, moss that was unintentionally introduced at the beginning is now slowly spreading.
Stories like these show that one should never give up on a hermetosphere too soon. These often surprising developments make observing closed terrariums so fascinating.
Finally, it is worth taking a close look at a leaf of the recovered Begonia lichenora with its surface shimmering in different colours.
Hermetospheres 