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Acrostichum aureum
Also called Golden Leather Fern, Leather Fern
Golden leatherfern is a large, tropical swamp and mangrove fern with glossy, leathery fronds that can reach about 1.8 metres. It thrives in constantly wet soil or shallow water, and tolerates salty conditions better than most ferns.
Acrostichum aureum, the golden leather fern, is a large species of fern that grows in mangrove swamps and other wet locations. Other common names include swamp fern and mangrove fern.
Golden leather fern can be grown under high light in garden soil or potting mix, if the substrate is kept constantly wet. Ordinary fresh water (not brackish water) is sufficient for cultivation.
The golden leather fern is found in tropical and sub-tropical areas around the world. It grows in swamps and mangrove forests, salt marshes and on river banks and is tolerant of raised salinity levels. The spores germinate better, however, in fresh water. It tends to grow on slight elevations in the mangrove swamp in areas which are inundated by the sea occasionally. It can also grow in freshwater locations. In Malaysia there are two plant forms. The larger ones occur on the periphery of the swamp where they may reach 4 metres (13 ft) while much more stunted plants grow in the areas which are frequently inundated. It can grow in full sun or in deep shade and it has been found that the mangrove Rhizophora mucronata can regenerate in dense stands of the fern. There are several kinds of ferns that are aquatic, but this is the only one that can grow in (and sometimes be submerged in) the ocean.
In Cambodia, where the fern is known as prâng' tük (prâng'="cycad", tük="aquatic", Khmer language), the young leaves are eaten in salads.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Acrostichum aureum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
