# Recommendation for a miniature emersed fern . . .



## Wookii (29 Jul 2021)

I have a tiny piece of emergent hardscape on my tank, around 50mm long. It's currently covered in moss, and the wood is covered with water wicking material, so it is always wet.






I'd like to try and add a small emerged plant to it, ideally some sort of nice feathery fern that grows to (or can be trimmed to maintain) a height of about 100-120mm. Obviously the roots would be constantly wet, but the leaves would need to be bale to cope with the arid air of a centrally heated home.

Does anyone have any suggestions of something that might be suitable?


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## Aqua360 (29 Jul 2021)

Wookii said:


> I have a tiny piece of emergent hardscape on my tank, around 50mm long. It's currently covered in moss, and the wood is covered with water wicking material, so it is always wet.
> 
> View attachment 172414
> 
> ...


Have you considered hygrophila pinnatifida?


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## Wookii (29 Jul 2021)

Aqua360 said:


> Have you considered hygrophila pinnatifida?



I have, and I did have it growing in my tank, but any emersed growth that attempts to make it above the surface just dries to a crisp. I also tried a small Buce off-cut, and that dried to a crisp also.


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## ScareCrow (30 Jul 2021)

I've been thinking of trying Ceratopteris thalictroides (water sprite/Indian fern). I've seen a lot of people growing it floating with emersed growth. Might need to transition it depending on how it's been grown, before mounting it to it's final location though. I think it has finer foliage in it's immersed form and the broader leaves when emersed.
Apparently it's quite a fast grower, so would probably require regular pruning to stay within 100-120mm.


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## Ehcosbie (30 Jul 2021)

Asparagus fern?


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## Wookii (30 Jul 2021)

ScareCrow said:


> I've been thinking of trying Ceratopteris thalictroides (water sprite/Indian fern). I've seen a lot of people growing it floating with emersed growth. Might need to transition it depending on how it's been grown, before mounting it to it's final location though. I think it has finer foliage in it's immersed form and the broader leaves when emersed.
> Apparently it's quite a fast grower, so would probably require regular pruning to stay within 100-120mm.



Thanks Nick, I'll check that one out, it might be a good option.


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## Wookii (30 Jul 2021)

Ehcosbie said:


> Asparagus fern?



Thanks @Ehcosbie - I do like the growth form on that, but would it be okay with the roots constantly wet?


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## Ehcosbie (30 Jul 2021)

No idea, you could try in a bowl first. They are pretty cheap (£3-£7 ish) and readily available from places like homebase. Would be a fun little experiment. Make sure you wash all soil off first.


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## zozo (30 Jul 2021)

Maybe Selaginella sp. is interesting for you, some like moist conditions. Very popular in the terrarium/paludarium hobby

Pyrrosia is a fern sp. that also has a lot of small climbing fern varieties that you occasionally might find in terrarium shops.








						Pyrrosia nummularifolia
					

Pyrrosia nummularifolia, also know as the Creeping Button Fern, is one of the few ferns that Glass Box Tropicals offers that does well epiphytically as well as terrestrially.




					glassboxtropicals.com
				




Most small fern sp. you'll find in this family.








						Polypodiaceae | fern family
					

Polypodiaceae,  family (including Grammitidaceae) in the order Polypodiales, which contains  56 genera and about 1,200 species of diverse and widely distributed medium-sized and small ferns. Some earlier classification systems have recognized as many as 170 genera and 7,000 species in the...



					www.britannica.com


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## Wookii (30 Jul 2021)

zozo said:


> Maybe Selaginella sp. is interesting for you, some like moist conditions. Very popular in the terrarium/paludarium hobby
> 
> Pyrrosia is a fern sp. that also has a lot of small climbing fern varieties that you occasionally might find in terrarium shops.
> 
> ...



Thanks @zozo, I'll check those out,


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## Geoffrey Rea (30 Jul 2021)

You could try Bolbitis heteroclita ‘Difformis’ @Wookii 

It’s bloomin’ useless as an aquatic plant and emersed found it to be pretty tolerant to drier air. If you pull it off it’s also slower growing so could be worth a punt.


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## Wookii (30 Jul 2021)

Geoffrey Rea said:


> You could try Bolbitis heteroclita ‘Difformis’ @Wookii
> 
> It’s bloomin’ useless as an aquatic plant and emersed found it to be pretty tolerant to drier air. If you pull it off it’s also slower growing so could be worth a punt.



Thanks Geoff, thats a good shout!


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