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Species library › Asplenium › Asplenium polyodon
Ferns Well documented

Asplenium polyodon

sickle spleenwort

A glossy, simply pinnate spleenwort with pendulous fronds up to half a metre long, dark chocolate-brown scaly rachises and doubly toothed, sickle-shaped pinnae. It is widespread from Madagascar through Indo-Malaysia to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, and in New Zealand it grows from the coast to the mountains, often perched on trees in scrub and dense forest. It is slow growing but easy in a shaded, humid spot and looks best hanging.

At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light ShadeDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

Grows in scrub and dense forest, often as an epiphyte on trunks and branches, but also on rock outcrops, fallen logs and on the ground. In Westland, New Zealand it shares the forest understory with crown fern.

Coastal to montane. GBIF records with elevations run from near sea level to about 1700 m, median about 280 m.

New ZealandAustraliaMadagascarIndo-MalaysiaPacific 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

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More Asplenium

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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.