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Species library › Polypodium › Polypodium ensiforme
Ferns Partly documented

Polypodium ensiforme

A creeping polypod fern with narrow, strap-like fronds from the southern and western Cape of South Africa. It grows on rocks and tree trunks in shaded forest and kloofs, and suits a mild, airy spot with a cooler winter.

At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets 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

Grows on rocks, cliffs and bark in shaded forest patches and moist ravines along the Cape Fold mountains. Specific detail is thin; this follows the records and similar Cape rock ferns.

Few elevations recorded; those present range from 550 to 1,200 m, though many records come from lower coastal forest.

Cape Provinces

🔒 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.