Asplenium nidus
[Bird's Nest Fern, Crow's Next Fern，山苏花]
Orgin: Tropical Africa, Tropical Asia, Pacific
Botanically, the fern is known as Asplenium Nidus or commonly known as Bird Nest's Fern or Crow's Nest Fern. The fern is a native of Tropical Asia, Northern Australia, India and Japan. It can grow in great variety as an epiphyte (i.e. plant growing on another) on large trees especially in rainforests, and it's a common sight on trees in Singapore. Independently, it can also be found on the forest floors or on rocks with good available light.
The unique formation of nest shaped radiating fronds has nest-like 'hairs' in its crown. Water clogging should be kept away from it to prevent rotting. The roots of the fern is small, dense & spongy to keep it constantly moist.
The Bird Nest's fern is one of the easiest fern to grow. Propagation is by division of the mother plant or by spores found on the underside, mid-rift of the matured fronds or by young babies easily found in between rocks, plants, etc.
If propagation is by using spores, place a leaf with mature spores onto a piece of paper or in a paper bag. Within a day or two, the spores can be collected and placed onto a pot containing moist peat moss, sphagnum moss or any moist medium. Placed the pot in a shady location and mist daily to encourage germination.
To propagate a division or the baby of the fern, placed the plant onto a well-drained medium in a pot, basket or tub and placed them on shaded areas with filtered sunlight to produce nice, green lust fronds. The roots should always be kept moist but not wet.
No comments:
Post a Comment