sickle fern

Pellaea falcata | sickle fern

 

A striking fern perfect for both indoor display and outdoor gardens. It features dark brown stems adorned with regularly spaced, glossy dark green, sickle-shaped leaflets that taper to a point. While drought-tolerant, it thrives best in part shade with consistently moist, free-draining soil. You can use it to underplant trees and shrubs, add to mixed plantings, or mass plant for a stunning effect. It has a slow creeping habit and is only found in small, uncommon patches in coastal areas north of Auckland. Being smaller than its exotic commercial relatives, it's considered a collector's fern and can be somewhat challenging to cultivate.