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Bladder Fern

Cystopteris

Also called Bladder Ferns, Brittle Fern, Bladderfern, Fragile Ferns

Bladder Fern
Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0

Cystopteris is a genus of small, rhizomatous perennial ferns from temperate regions worldwide, often called bladder ferns or fragile ferns. The common members grow in rock crevices or moist soil, and they are best kept cool, shaded and consistently moist.

Family
Cystopteridaceae (Cystopterid family)
Grows as
Fern
Light
Part shade, Shade
Water
Keep the soil or rock crevice evenly moist and never let it dry out completely.
Soil
Humus-rich, well-drained soil or a gritty mix, often with added grit or limestone chips
Temperature
10–20 °C in summer; tolerates hard winter cold
How easy
Moderate

About

Cystopteris is a genus of ferns in the family Cystopteridaceae. These are known generally as bladderferns or fragile ferns. They grow in temperate areas worldwide. This is a very diverse genus and within a species individuals can look quite different, especially in harsh environments where stress stunts their growth. They hybridize easily with each other and identifying an individual can be challenging. In general these are rhizomatous perennials which grow in rocks or soil. Their leaves are multiply pinnate, in that each leaflet is divided into smaller parts. The sori are usually rounded and covered in an inflated bladder-like indusium.

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cystopteris 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.

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