Java Fern with a straighter posture. The 'Philippine' cultivar grows long, broad fronds with a soft wave along the edge, held more upright than the standard form — so it reads as vertical structure rather than a sprawling clump. Same rhizome plant underneath: no substrate, no CO₂, no fuss. What You'll Receive Sold as loose bare-root plants, bunched plants, or potted plants: Bare-root Plants: Approximately 6+ leaf portion, loose rhizome Bunched Plants: Approximately 6+ leaf portion bundled with foam and plant weight Potted Plants: Approximately 6+ leaf portion, potted in rockwool and net pot Plant Profile Common name — Philippine Java Fern Scientific name — Leptochilus pteropus 'Philippine' (syn. Microsorum pteropus) Also known as — Java Fern Philippine Origin — Southeast Asia Placement — Midground to background; attaches to driftwood and stone Mature height — 8-14 inches Growth rate — Slow Care Difficulty — Beginner Light — Low to medium CO₂ — Not required Water — 68-82°F, pH 6.0-7.5 Substrate — None needed; feeds from the water column Growth habit — Amphibious epiphyte Propagation — Rhizome division Grower's Notes Never bury the rhizome. Tie or glue the green horizontal stem to wood or rock and leave it in open water. Buried in substrate it rots — the single most common way Java Fern is killed. Black spots on old leaves are baby plants, not disease. Java Fern reproduces by growing plantlets along the leaf margins. Leave a spotted leaf in place until each plantlet has roots and two or three leaves, then detach and attach it elsewhere. It grows upright, which changes where you use it. Standard Java Fern spreads outward; 'Philippine' holds height. That makes it a background plant in a small tank and a midground one in a large tank. Keep the light modest. It grows slowly enough that strong lighting mostly feeds algae on the fronds. Shaded positions give cleaner, darker leaves. Give it time before judging it. Emersed-grown fronds often brown off after planting. As long as the rhizome stays firm and green, submersed leaves follow — they simply take a couple of months. Want to go deeper? Read our complete Java Fern Care Guide. Notes Photos are sample representations. Actual plants may vary in size, shape, or coloration. Unless otherwise specified, we do not guarantee plants are free of pests, pesticides, or exclusively submerged-grown. Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.
