Crocodile Fern

Crocodile Fern (Microsorum musifolium 'Crocodyllus') is the fern to buy when you want something that looks rare but behaves like a houseplant. It reaches about 80cm tall and a metre across, with broad undivided fronds netted in a raised green pattern that genuinely does resemble crocodile hide. It is also non toxic to cats and dogs.

Why you'll love it

• The leaf pattern is the point. Wide glossy fronds carry a raised vein network, so it holds interest all year without ever flowering.
• Pet friendly. Not toxic to cats or dogs, unlike many popular indoor foliage plants.
• Low maintenance indoors. Bright indirect light, a pot that drains and steady moisture cover almost everything it needs.
• It fills a corner without crowding. At roughly 80cm by 1m it reads as a substantial plant inside the footprint of one large pot.
• Humidity is a plus, not a problem. Bathrooms, sheltered courtyards and tropical gardens all suit it.

Where it works best

Indoors, anywhere in the country. The main use, and inside your climate stops mattering, which counts with a plant this frost tender. Keep it bright, out of direct sun and clear of heating and cooling outlets.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. In a sheltered shaded courtyard it grows happily in a wide pot. Choose a container at least 300mm across so the creeping rhizome can run.

Feature planting in warm gardens. Under a canopy in the tropics or subtropics it makes a bold understorey clump beside finer textured ferns.

Growing crocodile fern in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light gives the strongest patterning. Deep shade slows it down and direct sun scorches the fronds within days. Outdoors it is limited to tropical and subtropical gardens, because it is frost tender and will not survive a cold night.

Soil. A free draining organic mix rather than heavy potting soil. An orchid or aroid style mix suits the shallow creeping rhizome. Never bury the rhizome, and always use a pot with a drainage hole.

Water and feed. Keep the mix consistently damp but never sodden. Water when the top 2cm is dry, tip out the saucer, and group plants together in dry indoor air. Feed a half strength liquid fertiliser monthly through spring and summer.

Pruning. Very little to do. Cut spent or damaged fronds off at the base rather than trimming partway, since a cut frond never regrows its tip.

What to expect when it arrives

This fern is grown as tube stock. A tube is a young plant with a few fronds, typically 10 to 20cm tall, and it will fill a 200mm pot within a season or two. Buying at this size lets the plant settle into your light and water routine while it is still adaptable.

Ferns dislike transit more than tougher plants, so expect a little frond edge browning on arrival and treat it as travel stress rather than a fault. Pot it up promptly, water it in, then leave it somewhere bright and indirect for a fortnight. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Getting the environment right for ferns
• Browse more options in ferns for shady areas
• Compare other indoor plants that are safe for pets
• How to keep your indoor plants alive

Common questions

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. Crocodile fern is not toxic to cats or dogs, which makes it one of the safer choices for a house with curious pets. Nibbled fronds still spoil the look, so a raised position helps.

Why are the frond tips going brown?

Almost always dry air or inconsistent watering. Move it away from heating and cooling vents, keep the mix evenly damp rather than swinging between soaked and bone dry, and group plants together.

Does it flower?

No. It is a true fern, so it reproduces by spores. The brown spots in rows underneath mature fronds are spore cases, not a pest or a disease.