pānoko

Icarus filiformis | pānoko, thread fern, climbing hard fern

 

A distinctive fern with two very different growth stages. Juvenile plants form tangled, creeping mats of small, toothed fronds that spread over the ground, rocks, and fallen logs. As the plant matures, it transitions into a climbing form, producing longer, tapering fronds that droop gracefully as they ascend tree trunks.

Slow growing and best suited to moist, shaded conditions, it favours sheltered forest environments with consistent humidity. Valued for its unusual growth habit and textural contrast, it is often regarded as a collector’s fern rather than a mass-planting species.