Nephrolepis undulata

A deciduous sword fern of seasonally dry tropical Africa, Madagascar and the Americas. It survives the dry season as underground tubers on its runners and resprouts with the rains. Unlike most Nephrolepis, it needs a real dry, dormant period.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

It grows in savanna woodland, rocky outcrops, banks and forest margins in climates with a marked dry season, often rooted among rocks or in thin soil. The fronds die back in the dry season, and the plant persists as small tubers on its stolons.

Recorded at 3–2500 m, with a median of 1150 m. Most populations are submontane, with cooler nights than the lowland tropics.

CameroonBeninMadagascarGabonEthiopiaTanzaniaTogoBrazilMalawiBurundiGuineaGhanaCosta RicaMexicoZambiaNigeria

🔒 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 Nephrolepis

Nephrolepis exaltata Nephrolepis cordifolia Nephrolepis biserrata Nephrolepis brownii Nephrolepis obliterata Nephrolepis abrupta Nephrolepis acutifolia Nephrolepis arida Nephrolepis averyi Nephrolepis cocosensis Nephrolepis copelandii Nephrolepis davalliae All 39 →

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