Adiantum incisum

A small maidenhair fern with a very wide range across tropical Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent, Myanmar and south-central China. It grows on rocks and earth banks from near sea level to high elevations. Much of its range has a long dry season, so it is tougher than the classic humid-forest maidenhairs. It still wants shade, a free-draining, humus-rich mix, and steady moisture in cultivation.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry

Light Dappled lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Perennial and often lithophytic. It grows on rocks, in rock crevices and on shaded banks in moist tropical and subtropical forest and wooded country. Two subspecies are recognised: one ranges from Africa to China, and the other is limited to South Asia.

GBIF records span 40–3,000 m, median 1,000 m (78 records). This covers lowland to montane sites, and most records are mid-elevation.

Tropical AfricaSouthern Africa (Northern Provinces, Eswatini)Arabian Peninsula (Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Socotra)Indian subcontinentMyanmarChina South-Central

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.