Sign in Start free
Species library › Asplenium › Asplenium aethiopicum
Ferns Partly documented

Asplenium aethiopicum

Shredded spleenwort

A tough, variable spleenwort that grows on rocks and occasionally on trees across Africa, the Indian Ocean islands, tropical Asia, the Pacific and eastern Australia. Its narrow, finely divided, leathery fronds and dark glossy stipes look delicate but tolerate drier air than most ferns. Grow it in bright shade in a gritty, open mix that stays lightly moist but never soggy.

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
No rest periodGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

A lithophytic or sometimes epiphytic fern that grows on or among rocks in open forest, on shaded boulders and outcrops, cliffs and ravines, and sometimes on mossy tree trunks in wetter montane forest. In New South Wales it is described as uncommon, growing among rocks in open forest.

Recorded elevations run from about 100 to 2,580 m, with a median of about 1,230 m. In Africa and Réunion it is mainly a montane plant, while in Australia it grows near the coast.

Southern AfricaEast Tropical AfricaWest and Central Tropical AfricaNortheast Africa and ArabiaMadagascar, Réunion and MauritiusMacaronesia and MoroccoIndian subcontinent and Sri LankaSouthern China and IndochinaMalesiaEastern Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria)Pacific islands

🔒 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

Grow Asplenium aethiopicum? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Start free Sign in

More Asplenium

Asplenium platyneuron Asplenium bradleyi Asplenium pinnatifidum Asplenium resiliens Asplenium rhizophyllum Asplenium montanum Asplenium scolopendrium Asplenium tutwilerae Asplenium ceterach Asplenium monanthes Asplenium nidus Asplenium septentrionale All 1023 →

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