What Plants Grow in a Cloche?

Frost-Sensitive Plants

• Using outdoor cloches extends the growing season for frost-sensitive plants that would otherwise die during winter. A plastic cloche keeps temperatures warm enough around a tomato seedling to allow you to plant it out a few weeks earlier. The plant starts producing vegetables earlier in the summer due to the early head start. Delicate perennials that die back if exposed to frost will last longer with the help of a cloche.

Small Tropical Plants

• A glass dome cloche makes an attractive centerpiece or home decoration when set over a shallow planter filled with small tropical plants. Even large cloches have limited space inside, so a plant that grows quickly and fills more than half of the space isn't appropriate, reports the University of Missouri Extension Service. Plants need air circulation around the foliage to prevent leaf rot. The heat and high humidity levels of the cloche are ideal for tropical plants.

Moss

• While not all mosses flourish in warm or wet environments, many varieties do. A glass or clear plastic cloche allows you to build a mossy terrarium inside. Ferns that stay small enough to fit in the cloche also work if the cloche stays out of direct sunlight, says terrarium expert Tovah Martin. Moss won't grow on the smooth sides of the cloche and won't grow too large and crowd the space inside it.

Carnivorous Plants

• The carnivorous, insect-eating plants in the Drosera family, commonly known as sundews, need the high humidity and warm environment found in the cloche, according to the Terrarium Man website. Some flytraps and small pitcher plants also fit in a cloche, but others need periods of cold dormancy that the cloche won't provide. You'll need to lift up the cloche to feed the plant every few months, but the glass will keep the carnivorous plant healthy between feedings.