Fishbone water fern (Blechnum nudum)

When it flowers

January, not flowering
February, not flowering
March, not flowering
April, not flowering
May, not flowering
June, not flowering
July, not flowering
August, not flowering
September, not flowering
October, not flowering
November, not flowering
December, not flowering

Blechnum nudum, Otway Ranges. Photo: James, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

New Zealand Crown fern - species Blechnum discolor. Photographed in bushwalk near the suspension footbridge on the Buller River on the road from Murchison to Westport, New Zealand.. Photo: Paul Keestra, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This photo is from Gardenology.org and is available under CC-BY-SA 3.0 license. If you use it, please include attribution to Gardenology.org, with a link if the media allows it. If the name is missin…. Photo: Raffi Kojian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Upright fern with long fishbone fronds for wet, shady corners and pond edges.

A ground fern of creek banks and gullies, with a crown of upright, ladder-like fronds. Older plants can form a short trunk. Happy in wet soil and a natural choice for shady pond and creek edges.

In the garden

Mass planting
Under trees
Pond and bog edges

Flowers: Inconspicuous
Attracts: Shelter for small wildlife
Leaves: Long, upright fronds with narrow leaflets like a fishbone; new fronds pinkish.

Growing conditions

Light: Part shade to full shade
Soil: Loam and clay
Drainage: Copes with waterlogging
Frost: Moderate frost
Water: Needs regular water
Coast: Not suited to coastal gardens
Climate: Subtropical, temperate and cool and alpine

Planting and care

Grown from: Division

Planting

Shade and constantly moist soil; good beside ponds and under tree ferns.

Pruning

Cut off old brown fronds at the base.

Care

Keep the soil moist, especially in summer. Mulch with leaf litter; a weak liquid feed in spring helps.

Where it comes from

Family: Blechnaceae
Order: Polypodiales
Native to: ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria
Natural range: Creek banks and wet gullies of south-eastern Australia.

Specialist native nurseries.

We don't have stockists listed for this plant yet. Local native nurseries are often the best place to ask.

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Fishbone water fern Blechnum nudum