Phlebodium aureum 'Blue Star'

Origin and background

Phlebodium aureum is native from Florida and the Caribbean through Mexico and Central America to tropical South America. It grows mainly on trunks and branches, often on cabbage palms in Florida, but can also establish on rock or on the ground where organic material collects. The host provides support rather than food, so the fern is an epiphyte, not a parasite.

Creeping rhizomes allow the species to spread over bark and make use of pockets of litter and moisture above the forest floor. ‘Blue Star’ is an established cultivated selection of this tropical American fern. Cultivated Blue Star plants in the Netherlands later produced the spontaneous mutation that became Davana.

Moisture and airflow for healthy fronds

Feeding, root care and propagation: Feed lightly with a balanced fertiliser while new fronds are forming, then reduce feeding as growth slows. A wide, relatively shallow container gives the surface-running rhizome room to extend without burying it. If the plant needs dividing, separate only a rooted rhizome section with a healthy growing point. Division produces another Blue Star, while plants raised from spores may differ.

Light, settling in and support: Phlebodium ‘Blue Star’ grows best in bright, filtered light or light shade. Gentle sun is suitable after gradual acclimatisation, but an abrupt move into intense light can bleach or scorch the blue-green fronds. Deep shade slows growth and encourages long, weak fronds. Warm, stable conditions support active growth, while cold combined with wet roots is particularly risky. After delivery, let the fern settle in stable filtered light before changing its position or pot.

Root care, watering and humidity: Use an airy fern or epiphyte mix that combines moisture-holding material with coarse bark plus porous mineral particles. Water thoroughly when the upper part of the mix begins to lose moisture, then let excess water drain. Repeated severe drying causes frond loss, but constant saturation deprives the roots and rhizome of oxygen. Keep the creeping rhizome on or above the surface rather than burying it. Moderate to high humidity helps prevent dry margins, provided air continues to move around the plant.

Problems and solutions

Crisp margins usually point to repeated drying, salt accumulation or very dry moving air. Pale bleached patches that face the light suggest scorch after a sudden exposure increase. Soft yellowing fronds with a persistently wet root zone indicate excess moisture instead. Check the mix below the surface before responding. If drainage is sound, flush accumulated salts and return to a steadier moisture cycle. Leave partly green fronds in place while the fern recovers.

The golden-brown covering on a healthy creeping rhizome, the fern's horizontal stem, is natural. Dark, soft, hollow or sour-smelling rhizome tissue needs attention, especially where the rhizome has been buried. Expose the rhizome surface, stop stagnant moisture and remove only clearly decayed tissue with a clean tool. Retain firm rooted sections with active growing points. A fern that has lost most roots may need a smaller, airier root zone while it recovers.

Regular round dots arranged beneath mature fronds are spore-producing sori, not pests. Scale insects are irregular raised bodies that also occur on stalks or upper surfaces and may leave sticky residue. After confirming scale, keep the fern apart from other plants. Remove visible insects carefully, then apply a fern-safe treatment according to its label. Inspect newly unfurling fronds for mites or thrips when growth emerges twisted, scarred or speckled, testing any spray on a small area first.

Phlebodium aureum ‘Blue Star’ is non-toxic to cats and dogs

• This plant is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
• Its effects on people are unclear, so keep it away from young children who may chew it.
• Eating a large amount can still cause an upset stomach. Seek medical or veterinary advice if symptoms continue.

When and where was Phlebodium aureum first published?

Phlebodium comes from Greek phleb-, meaning vein.

John Smith established the genus Phlebodium in 1841 in Journal of Botany (Hooker), volume 4, page 58.

Carl Linnaeus first described it as Polypodium aureum in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 1087. John Smith later placed it in Phlebodium as Phlebodium aureum in 1841 in Journal of Botany (Hooker), volume 4, page 59.