Microsorum musifolium 'Crocodyllus'

Natural range of Microsorum musifolium 'Crocodyllus'

The species Microsorum musifolium is native from southern Myanmar through parts of Southeast Asia to New Guinea, including Borneo, Sumatra and the Lesser Sunda Islands. It grows naturally on trunks and branches in tropical vegetation.

How to grow Microsorum musifolium 'Crocodyllus'

• Light: Place it in bright, filtered light. Shield the fronds from intense direct sun through glass.
• Temperature: Keep it warm, ideally above 16°C, and away from cold draughts.
• Humidity: High humidity helps new fronds open well and keeps the leaf edges in good condition. Pair humidity with gentle air movement.
• Water: Water when the growing mix is nearly dry, then let it drain fully. Rainwater or filtered water is useful where tap water is very hard.
• Growing mix: Use a loose fern mix with coarse bark and other chunky ingredients that hold some moisture and drain quickly.
• Feeding: Feed lightly with a balanced liquid fertiliser while new fronds are growing.
• Repotting: Repot when the rhizome has filled the available surface or the mix has broken down and stays wet unusually long.

Troubleshooting Microsorum musifolium 'Crocodyllus'

• Brown, crisp frond edges: Dry air, very dry growing mix, hard water or a nearby heat source can cause edge damage. Check root moisture first, raise humidity if the air is dry, and switch to rainwater or filtered water if mineral deposits are building up.
• Pale or tan patches on the upper fronds: Direct sun can scorch the leaf surface. Move the fern into bright filtered light and leave healthy green tissue in place.
• Yellowing fronds with a persistently wet mix: The growing mix is holding too much water around the roots. Let the upper part dry before watering again and improve drainage.
• Fine webbing, white cottony clusters or brown shell-like bumps: Spider mites, mealybugs and scale can occur. Isolate the fern and confirm which pest is present. Once the pest is identified, use an ornamental-plant treatment that lists it on the label, using the stated amount and timing.

Keep Microsorum musifolium ‘Crocodyllus’ away from children and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
• Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

Why is it called Microsorum musifolium?

Microsorum combines Greek mikros, small, with soros, heap, referring to the fern’s small spore clusters. Musifolium means banana-leaved and compares the broad fronds with leaves of Musa bananas.

Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link established the genus Microsorum in 1833 in Hortus Berolinensis, volume 2, page 110.

Carl Ludwig Blume first described it as Polypodium musifolium in 1828 in Enumeratio Plantarum Javae, volume 2, page 134. Edwin Bingham Copeland later placed it in Microsorum as Microsorum musifolium in 1929 in University of California Publications in Botany, volume 16, page 112.