My new Ant Plant

[ekmek]

While on the hunt for N. Ventrata and N. Miranda at my local nursery I stumbled upon some ant plants and decided to take one home.The Plant was labelled as being Myrmecodia beccarii, but I'm not too sure that's correct? I have my suspicions it may not be a Myrmecodia at all, but a Hydnophytum due to how the leaves are growing on those long stems, but If anyone has any hints as to the identity I'd love to hear!

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

Amazing you found it at a local store!

 

[WillyCKH]

That's a nice plant!

 

[Chen]

Not really my type of plant but that's a really nice find.

 

[plantant]

looks like some sort of bonsai with that thick trunk! Good find!

 

[jeff]

for me it is a hydnophytum may be a formicarum.

it is not a myrmecodia beccarii this plant have not stem like here

no others infos like its origin from the natural environment

 

[Caudiciformken]

Very similar to one that I have and called Hydnophytum papuanum and its in a six inch wood slat orchid pot.

 

[jeff]

H.papuanum is now renamed with the new taxonomic revision H .moseleyanum.

very nice plant

for me they are 2 different plants, in particular because of the hole on the caudex for one and not for the other

 

[ekmek]

We have a flower!

also, I was at the nursery on Monday getting pots for my Musa, and they now have some of the ant plants labelled as H.papuanum, so my suspicion that my plant is a Hydnophytum seems to be substantiated

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

I can't believe that big, old Toronto is a weird plant desert.

 

[ekmek]

Does anyone have any recommendations for fertilizer? I have a 0.2/0,2/0.2 orchid spray that I might try, but If there's a better option I'm all ears.

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

I use a granular orchid fertilizer, dilute to 50 ppm and spray it on.

 

[3x3is9]

So we had to zip out to a greenhouse in rural Manitoba (our farms out by Portage for the Manitobans on here) and picked up 4 a week ago.
They had H.papuanum, H. puffii, M. beccarii, M. selebicum. I wonder if they were from the same supplier. You can probably tell from the pots and tags in my pics below. Also, I think your correct on the H.papuanum ID.

 

[ekmek]

So we had to zip out to a greenhouse in rural Manitoba (our farms out by Portage for the Manitobans on here) and picked up 4 a week ago.
They had H.papuanum, H. puffii, M. beccarii, M. selebicum. I wonder if they were from the same supplier. You can probably tell from the pots and tags in my pics below. Also, I think your correct on the H.papuanum ID.
View attachment 11371
View attachment 11372

when I first got it there were no tags just a sign that said "Myrmecodia beccarii - Ant Plant", but when I was there last, they had labels that looked exactly like yours!

 

[jeff]

for me the orchid fertilizer is not strong enough, it is necessary to compensate the nitrogen substante (mainly nitrogen) produced by the ants, so rather use products with an N, with 2 figures
for my part I use NPK: 13-19-19 see 23-5-5; 2 grams per liter of water

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

I under fertilize to keep them small

 

[ekmek]

It seems to be doing well! I can totally see myself with a little collection of these, they're so intresting.

 

[3x3is9]

It looks great potted in the bonsai pot. I was thinking it would be cool to display in a round bonsai pot once large.
Your photo of the flower got us looking and it turns out our H. puffii has a teeny tiny flower!

 

[jeff]

for me it is a H.moseleyanum (papuanum) flower not H.puffii flower , see the leaves .

warning H.puffii often loses its leaves in winter