Hi, I am working on the logistics of building our first home which will be an earth-sheltered home (underground) in eastern Washington state, or western Idaho. It will have as much room as it needs, but I would rather a tree that did not exceed 20 ft, or a tree that with minimal effort could be kept under 12 ft. It will have access to direct sunlight via a skylight directly over it. The temp year round should be about 66-77 degrees, humidity, light, and moisture can be adjusted to the needs of the tree. I would need it to be fairly common, as I will be buying it and planting it inside the structure before the skylight is installed, however, understanding that it is a living thing and could die, I am planning for it to be replaceable via the same skylight. One other concern is the root system. I am not sure the best way to keep them from destroying the foundation and walls. Maybe a tree with a less evasive root structure? A hardy tree would also be a great plus, replacing the tree would be a headache I would like to avoid. I would rather a semi-tropical plant that has minimal leaf loss as this will be indoors and raking is tedious enough outside. Flowering once a year would be ok, but in that case a pleasant aroma. I know it is a long list, but doing a google search is not helping me find any real info on this subject. In my mind this tree will be a focal point with other plants, a indoor eco-system, maybe with parrots and tree frogs... One last thing- must be family friendly! No poisons or sharp spikes! Thank you all so much for your time. :)
You asked for a deciduous tree, which is one that sheds its leaves each year. I think you mean evergreen which doesn't. Evergreen doesn't have to be a conifer. One type of small tree used indoors is benjamina ficus, aka weeping fig. There are also some of the palm family that might serve your needs. You will need to check exactly how much and what kind of light the tree will get. An overhead skylight will only give direct light from about 11am to 1pm and maybe indirect light for a period of time before and after the direct light. Most indoor plants do not like direct sunlight, especially during an eastern WA summer. It will cook Maybe a frosted skylight would solve this problem. Also, planting it directly in the "floor" - would require a large planting hole with soil appropriate to your choice of plant. I would place some sort of border around the soft soil in the planting hole to keep someone from stepping too close to the edge and turning an ankle. You've definitely come up with an interesting idea. I'm sure you will hear ideas from others in this forum. Barb ;))
Re: small <b>evergreen</b> tree for inside home Oh, good to know! I guess I should have just said- not a conifer! I will keep in mind the idea about a frosted skylight. There will also be indirect light from the large windows that will be facing out the side of the hill (house). And although the tree will be planted directly into the ground/floor of the house, I will have a raised sitting area, bricks or cement, ringing it. About what diameter do those figs get? I would rather like a tree that gets rather big in circumference without getting too tall, but I think smart pruning might be the solution to that.
White Bird of Paradise – Strelitzia nicolai should meet most of your requirements. http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq83/ANTEIA_1/2009-08/P1150439.jpg?t=1254950208 http://www.floridata.com/ref/s/stre_nic.cfm
Ficus benjamina can get absolutely huge (speaking from experience), but only if they're allowed rootspace to do so. In a setting like you're describing, it will probably top out around 10' and can easily be pollarded/pruned to keep it within reason if it gets taller. Trunk thickening in figs is something that comes with age. Attached is a 20-year old specimen grown in a friend's garden - yours won't do this, because you're limiting its rootspace. However, if you want something really unusual, look at Philodendron bipinnatifidum - a tree Philodendron which wants almost no rootspace at all, and which loves the sort of lower-light conditions you're constructing. There are also some dwarf banana cultivars, which would provide you with edible fruits in addition to being highly ornamental. The ones to look at there include Dwarf Red, Dwarf Orinoco, and Dwarf Cavendish.
Wow...now I want an indoor forest, LOL How much root space would you need to give a Ficus benjamina for it to get kinda big? Also, is it fairly tough? If my kids decided to climb in it when it was about 6 years old, could it withstand it, or would the branches fall off?
At 6 years old, it would likely still be too whippy for kids to climb. You probably need at least (geez, I'm guessing here - they're outdoor plants for me) 50 gallons or so to ensure that you get a nice thick trunk, along with plenty of time. I have a friend who keeps an F. benjamina in a 20 gal pot, and it's more than 20 years old but still quite slender. On the other hand, Sonia's tree (in the picture) is about 20 but has unlimited rootspace and moisture. If you want something that's sturdy enough for kids to climb at 6 years of age, maybe have a look at the faster-growing Mimosas or maybe a Jacaranda. They're a bit messy, but they'll bulk up fairly quickly. And in the case of the Jacaranda, the flowers are breathtakingly scented. ---- Also, there's no reason that you can't have a small forest-type ecosystem in your home. I've designed a number of earth-sheltered houses that incorporate large atria into the common spaces - if you've got a good source for frosted polycarbonate skylights, it's quite simple to do.
Really? I am mainly designing this based on info found on the internet, I would love some advice! LOL Even in my imagination this project is getting out of hand!
What about Surinam Powderpuff Trees? I like the Jacaranda, but it looks like the Mimosa might be too much hassle with the leaves dropping, endless seeds, sticky leaves ect indoors. Jacaranda do drop leaves though right? Does anyone know how long it is before they leaf out again?
I don't imagine that Jacaranda/Mimosa/Powderpuff will survive comfortable humidity for an Eastern Washington house. The bugs will devour them without the tree getting rained on frequently. You really need a tree or plant that is generallly considered an easy houseplant in northern climes. Many of the figs fit that bill. Besides the Ficus benjimina that Lorax mentioned, take a look at F. maclellandii 'Alii', F. elastica (rubber tree), and my favorite might be F. lyrata (the fiddle leaf fig). Some construction considerations: make sure to plan on a whole-house humidifier, to keep the humidity closer to to the higher range that is comfortable for people. Also plan on a drain under the plant and ideally a tile floor sloped to the drain in the area around the tree so that you can periodically hose it off. Any tree that doesn't get its leaves washed is going to need a lot of poison to keep the bugs down.
Wow, bugs can be that bad indoors? Thanks for the advice! I was planning on tile of some kind, but the humidifier is a good idea... My only issue with the fig right now is that is might not be hard enough wood. In a perfect world I would like a tree that my kids could sit in without branches falling off.
