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Slender brake

Pteris ensiformis

Also called Slender Bracken, Sword Brake

Slender brake
Photo: Daderot, CC0

Slender brake is a small, tropical terrestrial fern with narrow, sword-shaped fronds, often with silvery or pale central markings. It is grown mainly as a shade-loving houseplant or in humid indoor and greenhouse settings, and it needs steady moisture and humidity to do well.

Family
Pteridaceae (Maidenhair fern family)
Grows as
Fern
Light
Bright indirect, Part shade
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist and never let it dry out completely; water when the top layer starts to dry.
Soil
Peaty, humus-rich, well-draining potting mix.
Temperature
18–29 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not toxic to cats or dogs (ASPCA).
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
Trop. & Subtrop. Asia to Pacific
Climate
wet tropical

About

Pteris ensiformis, the slender brake, silver lace fern, sword brake fern, or slender brake fern, is a plant species of the genus Pteris in the family Pteridaceae. It is found in Asia and the Pacific.

Other Pteris plants

Cretan brake · Spider brake · Cretan Brake · Ladder brake · Brake fern

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Pteris ensiformis 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.

Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.

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