Botanical Identify: Microsorum musifolium ‘Crocodyllus’
Crocodile Fern has shiny, vivid inexperienced fronds in a charming croc sample, making this tropical fern irresistible as a houseplant. Thankfully for us, it is also one of many best kinds of ferns to develop indoors.
This Aussie native grows as an epiphyte (a plant that grows on bushes) within the heat, moist, tropical rain forests. Regardless of its tropical beginnings, Crocodile Fern adapts nicely to being a home plant.
Place your potted fern the place it’s out of direct solar and away from drafts, which might scorch the fronds. Increase humidity and you may maintain it wholesome and thriving for a few years.

Crocodile fern grows in a whorl of vibrant, deeply veined, spear-shaped fronds, which attain about 2 ft (60 cm) in size. Put this eye-catching fern on a plant stand or in a dangling basket to indicate it off.
Crocodile Fern Issues, Options and Solutions
As Crocodile Fern ages, the oldest, outer fronds will flip brown. That is regular. You possibly can minimize them off to maintain your plant wanting its finest. Sizzling, dry air may trigger fronds to brown. Boosting humidity round it helps.
These upright fronds are usually dust-catchers. Maintain the broad, shiny fronds dust-free by gently wiping them with a moist material. By no means use leafshine merchandise on ferns as a result of it could severely injury their delicate fronds.
Repot younger vegetation in spring, each couple years or when the roots fill the pot. For those who discover that the roots are connected to the pot, run a knife across the inside to loosen them earlier than you may take away the rootball. You might want to interrupt the pot to take away it. It is a good suggestion to use a container with drainage holes to keep away from soggy soil. Take care to not pack down the potting combine. An epiphyte in its native habitat, this fern likes a unfastened combination.
Not many pests hassle this fern. Look ahead to scale bugs, that seem like small, brown discs on fronds. For those who discover an invasion of those pests, spray with soapy water adopted by clear water. Do not use pesticides on ferns as a result of they’re simply broken by chemical compounds.
Is Crocodile Fern cat-friendly? Sure, it isn’t toxic, so you may safely develop this fern indoors round your pets and children.
Crocodile Fern Care Suggestions
Origin: Tropical Australia
Peak: Fronds can attain 2-3 ft (60-90 cm) lengthy when grown in a container indoors.
Gentle: Give your plant vivid, oblique daylight. No direct solar, which might scorch the fronds. Give the pot 1 / 4 flip every week for even progress. If you do not have a spot in entrance of a window, a develop gentle works splendidly.
Water: Water frivolously, but usually to maintain potting medium moist, however not soggy. Beneath-watering will trigger the fern to wilt, however an excessive amount of water may cause roots to rot and fronds to show yellow. Water much less in winter when progress is slower. Keep in mind to at all times use room-temperature water for watering tropical houseplants; chilly water is a shock to them.
Humidity: Give this tropical fern moist air. If the relative humidity drops beneath 50%, use a humidity tray or cool-mist room humidifier so as to add moisture to the air across the fern. Indoor air can change into extraordinarily dry through the winter months; it is a good suggestion to make use of a humidity gauge slightly than guess. Brown leaf suggestions are a symptom of dry air.
Temperature: Common room temps (65-75°F/18-24°C) will swimsuit this tropical fern. Maintain your plant away from warmth/AC vents, which might be drying to ferns.
Soil: Peat moss-based potting combine is right for this fern. Depart that miracle combine on the shelf — all that in-built fertilizer is an excessive amount of for ferns delicate roots.
Fertilizer: Feed each 2 weeks in spring and summer season with a balanced (akin to 10-10-10 NPK) water-soluble fertilizer at half the quantity beneficial on the bundle. Feed each couple months in fall and winter, when progress is slower. This fern is just not a heavy feeder — it is roots can endure from chemical burn from an excessive amount of fertilizer.
Propagation: M. musifolium grows from semi-woody, branched rhizomes that may be divided in spring and potted individually. Do not bury them; cowl rhizomes with about 1-inch of potting combine.