I have tried live plants they were ok the snake kept knocking them over. Personally I would try it you will like it or not. Before I tried a heat lamp I would suggest a Fluorescent tube first they give off quite a lot of heat (surface hits just over 100ºF) this means they are fairly safe inside an enclosure and unable to melt burn anything but still manage to raise air temps dramatically. I get 10-15ºF from mine in a fairly well insulated enclosure. I use a deep blue led over night to hold air temps it also is shockingly hot in the mid to high 90s. (although anything below 98ºF feels cool to us). If these do not do enough a heat lamp can always be added led and FL fixtures with tubes are cheap and if you have a plant you will need one anyway.