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Java fern latifolia

Microsorum pteropus 'Latifolia'

Also known as Microsorum pteropus 'Latifolius', Broad leaf Java fern, Java Fern Lettuce, Leptochilus pteropus 'Latifolia'

FreshwaterRhizomeRhizome divisionadventitious_plantlets

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
No CO₂ needed
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Epiphyte
Type
Rhizome
Temperature
64–82°F (18–28°C)
pH
5.0–7.5
Hardness
2–15 dGH
Max height
11.8 in (30 cm)
Spread
9.8 in (25 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Beginner
Origin
A broad leaved selection of the Southeast Asian Java fern, a species that grows attached to rocks and driftwood along shaded streams and waterfalls.
Family
Polypodiaceae

Overview

Tie or glue the rhizome to wood or rock and keep it above the substrate, since a buried rhizome will rot. It thrives in low to moderate light with no CO2, growing slowly and tolerating a wide range of water. When small black bumps and baby ferns appear on the leaf tips, you can pluck those plantlets off and attach them elsewhere.

In the wild

This is the broad, ruffled leaf form of Java fern, with wide green blades that give it the trade name Java Fern Lettuce. Like the standard plant it is an epiphyte that clings to hardscape rather than rooting in soil. The large leaves make it a bold, easy choice for the mid to background of a shaded tank.

Good to know

Java fern is an epiphytic fern that reproduces from spores and from tiny plantlets that sprout directly on mature leaves and along the rhizome. The accepted genus has moved between Microsorum and Leptochilus, so both names show up in the hobby.

Did you know

Java fern makes new plants right on its own leaves, sprouting little ferns from the leaf edges and tips that drop off and root on their own.

Where to buy

Some links may not be the exact species or variety.

…or ask your local fish store.

Appears in

Low-light plants · No-CO2 plants · Epiphytes · Beginner plants

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