Identify, Get Care & Grow Healthy Plants with Us!

Whisk Fern Care

Psilotum Nudum (l.) P. Beauv.

Whisk Fern main
Whisk Fern 0
Whisk Fern 1
What is the plant

Psilotum nudum, known as the whisk fern, is a fernlike plant. Like the other species in the order Psilotales, it lacks roots. It is found in tropical Africa, Central America, tropical and subtropical North America, South America, tropical Asia, Australia, Hawaii, southern Japan, Lord Howe Island, New Zealand.

If you’ve recognized any mistakes feel free to notify us about it. This would help us to provide only the best-quality information.

Humidity

Humidity

Normal

Lighting

Lighting

Part Sun

Temperature

Temperature

min 12°C

Hardiness zone

Hardiness zone

8a - 11

Difficulty

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

  • Water

    Water

    plus open button

    Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings.

  • Pruning

    Pruning

    plus open button

    As a rule, ferns don't really need pruning. Ferns in nature are generally self-cleaning and will release old fronds as they die. In the garden, occasional removal of dead fronds will improve the appearance of the plant, but it is strictly cosmetic.

  • Fertilizer

    Fertilizer

    plus open button

    Fertilize monthly year-round with a half-strength liquid fertilizer. It's best to only repot when your plant is root-bound, and preferably in the spring. Repot in a rich, high quality soil, such as a potting soil amended with 25% compost.

Ease your plant care routine with PlantIn's personalized system.
  • Sunlight

    Sunlight

    plus open button

    Ferns require indirect sunlight.

  • Soil

    Soil

    plus open button

    Ferns prefer potting soil with good drainage and high organic content. A potting mix should have peat moss or sphagnum for moisture retention, sand or gravel for drainage, and sterilized bagged garden loam or potting soil.

  • Temperature

    Temperature

    plus open button

    On the coldest end of the scale, hardy ferns can survive temperatures down to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ease your plant care routine with PlantIn's personalized system.
  • Container

    Container

    plus open button

    Use plastic pots, which don't dry out as quickly as clay pots. The latter are not recommended for many ferns indoors, unless you use the pot in pot method as described above. A clay pot surrounded by moss then the ceramic or plastic pot on the outside is probably ideal.

  • Additional

    Additional

    plus open button

    Enzootic hematuria, the most common form of bracken fern poisoning, primarily affects cattle and less frequently affects sheep. It is characterized by intermittent hematuria and anemia. Poisoning most often occurs during late summer when other feed is scarce, or when animals are fed hay containing bracken fern.

  • Popularity

    Popularity

    plus open button

    217 people already have this plant 18 people have added this plant to their wishlists

What's wrong with your plant?

    Plant ID

    Blog

    Disease ID

    More