Cyrtomium falcatum – Indoor House plants

Cyrtomium falcatum commonly known as House holly-fern or Japanese holly fern is a popular indoor plant, being very decorative, long lasting fern with leaflets that look more like holly leaves than like the division of fronds. It is an evergreen fern. The base of the plant is a rhizome thickly covered with very furry scurf which also covers most of the 10-15cm long leafstalks that rise from the rhizomes. Borne on these short stalks are leathery fronds up to 60cm (24 inches) long, which are held stiffly erect and each frond is divided into several pairs of 4 inches long, oval, glossy, coarsely toothed, dark green leaflets. The spores cases that appear in small patches on the undersides of leaflets are green at first but gradually turn light brown. It increases the beauty of your home environment and makes it nature-friendly.

Scientific Name: Cyrtomium falcatum
Common Name: House holly-fern and Japanese holly fern.

 

 

 

 

 

How to grow and maintain Cyrtomium falcatum:

Light:
The House holly-fern prefers to grow in a shady environment. A partial shade will do. Although this plant prefers to grow in a shady location, you should make sure that the plant receives some amount of light during the daytime.

Soil:
House holly-fern prefers to grow in moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil.

Temperature:
Average room temperatures are suitable and these ferns can also endure temperatures down to 10°C (50°F). In warm position, over 21°C (70°F) they should be given additional humidity by being standing the pots on trays of damp pebbles.

Water:
While Japanese holly ferns need to be kept moist and should never be permitted to dry out, good drainage is essential to avoid waterlogging.

Fertilizer:
Feed your house holly-fern permitted with slow-release products or organic liquid food like Seagro every two months during the growing season.

Propagation:
Japanese holly fern plant can propagate through the division method. While dividing the rhizome, make sure that each of the cut parts has a growing tip along with some fronds.

Pests and Diseases:
The Cyrtomium falcatum is frequently assaulted by scale insects. It is recommended that you get rid of this insect by using a blunt edge knife to scale off the insect. Try not to use pesticides or insecticides to avoid the insect attacks. The plant is sensitive to chemicals.