Golden Polypody

Golden Polypody Care

Phlebodium Decumanum/ Aureum

Other names: Blue Star Fern

What is the plant

People in Victorian England were obsessed with ferns because of their exquisite looks. Of course, times have changed, but these plants still will look gorgeous in your house, and Blue Star Fern is one of them!

In general, ferns are exciting and one of the most ancient plants on Earth, making them even more interesting! The Blue Star Fern has blue-gray coloration and an interesting shape. Attentive people can notice another interesting thing about this plant: if you look closely, you will notice that its fronds are covered in hair! Well, by structures that resemble hair, but it is still unusual.

humidity

Normal

lighting

Part sun and part shade

temperature

21°C - 26°C

hardiness zone

9b - 11b

difficulty

Medium

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Since the Blue Star Fern is native to the tropics, it prefers moisture, but at the same time, it doesn’t like the soil being too wet. So you must keep the perfect balance when the soil is neither dry nor wet.
Pruning
Pruning won’t work out if you want to promote desirable growth. But cutting to maintain a needed shape or size will work very well. Also, cutting and removing dead leaves is very important because they can attract diseases and pests.
Fertilizer
It doesn’t require a lot of fertilizer. Even during the growing period, it needs only a small amount of it. In winter, the plant doesn’t need it at all.

Disease diagnosis

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Sunlight
Bright sunlight is the best, and you need to avoid direct one.
Soil
Most ferns are terrestrials, unlike the Blue Star Fern, which is an epiphyte. This means that potting soil doesn’t suit it, and you need potting media that is looser and well-draining.
Propagation
Since it’s a fern, regular methods of propagating can’t be applied. But the division method will work!

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Temperature
The room temperature is enough, so the perfect temperature range is 64 to 77 F (18-25C).
Container
The plant will thrive in plastic pots with draining holes.
Fun fact
Probably, it’s very interesting to see this plant in its natural habitat because it’s an epiphyte. So it doesn’t need soil; in its native rainforests, it grows on trees.