Polypodium echinolepis

A creeping-rhizome polypody of mid-elevation pine-oak and montane forest from Mexico to Panama, growing on mossy trunks, branches and rocks. It handles a clear winter-spring dry season by slowing down, then pushes fronds with the summer rains, so it suits a bright, airy mount rather than a sealed tank.

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 trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

Epiphytic or rock-dwelling on mossy bark and boulders in pine-oak, oak and lower cloud forest; profile built from the measured range and the habits of Mesoamerican Polypodium.

Recorded from 88 to 3500 m, but most records sit around 1000-1800 m (median 1300 m).

MexicoGuatemalaHondurasNicaraguaCosta RicaPanamaColombia

🔒 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.