Blechnum orientaleCentipede Fern

Blechnum orientale, the Centipede Fern, is one of the most useful shade ferns of tropical Asia, forming a shuttlecock of arching once-pinnate fronds above a short erect trunk. New fronds emerge pink to bronze-red and hold that colour for weeks before hardening to green.

Planted in drifts it makes a substantial ground layer under trees, along shaded watercourses and in atria, where the flush of new growth reads as colour without a flower in sight.

Specifications

• Height0.8 to 1.5 metres
• Width1 to 1.5 metres
• Native toTropical and subtropical Asia, from India through China to Polynesia
• FoliageArching, once-pinnate fronds to 1.5 metres, flushing pink to bronze-red on new growth; evergreen
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers moist, acidic, humus-rich and free-draining soils
• LightPartial shade to full shade; tolerates morning sun where moisture is reliable
• WaterModerate to high; keep consistently moist
• ClimateThrives in humid tropical and subtropical regions

Additional Features

• FormShuttlecock rosette of fronds on a short erect trunk that thickens with age
• UsesIdeal for shaded understorey mass planting, watercourse margins, courtyards and interior atria
• SpacingPlant 0.8 to 1 metre apart for a closed ground layer
• Low MaintenanceCut out old fronds at the base once a year; no other routine work
• Pest ResistanceGenerally pest-free in shaded, moist conditions
• Seasonal AppealSuccessive flushes of pink and bronze new fronds give colour through the growing season

The Centipede Fern is the workhorse ground layer for shaded tropical planting, and the coloured new growth earns it a place on its own merits.