Ornatec InternationalSpecies reference sheet ยท ornatecinternational.com
Acrostichum aureum
Golden Leather Fern
Coastal wetlands across the tropics are held together by Acrostichum aureum, the Golden Leather Fern, a large clumping fern of mangrove fringes and brackish swamps. Its coarse, pinnate fronds are thick and leathery rather than delicate, and the emerging growth flushes a warm golden bronze that gives the plant its name.
It is used where a bold evergreen mass is wanted at the water's edge, in constructed wetlands, mangrove restoration and the wet margins of designed water features.
Specifications
- Height1.5 to 4 metres
- Width1.5 to 3 metres (clump)
- Native toTropical coastlines of the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific
- FoliageLarge, once-pinnate fronds, thick and leathery, with a golden bronze flush on new growth; evergreen
- Growth rateModerate
Conditions
- SoilPrefers wet, heavy soils and brackish or saline muds; tolerates permanent waterlogging
- LightFull sun to partial shade
- WaterHigh; requires permanently moist or wet ground and will not tolerate drying out
- ClimateThrives in tropical and subtropical coastal and estuarine conditions
Additional Features
- FormDense, upright clump of arching fronds
- UsesIdeal for wetland margins, mangrove and estuary restoration, bioswales and the wet edges of water features
- SpacingPlant 1 to 1.5 metres apart for a continuous wetland mass
- Low MaintenanceRequires little attention; cut out spent fronds at the base
- Pest ResistanceGenerally pest-free in suitable wet conditions
- Salt ToleranceGrows naturally in brackish and saline ground, and tolerates tidal inundation
- Erosion ControlBinds soft tidal and estuarine margins with a dense fibrous root mass
The Golden Leather Fern is the fern to reach for where the ground is permanently wet and salty, and few other evergreen species will hold.
Availability by project review. Sizes, quantities, origin and export readiness are confirmed after your plant schedule is reviewed against destination, timing and quarantine requirements. MEWA certified for supply into Saudi Arabia; Australian Export Registered Establishment.
Enquiries: sales@ornatecinternational.com
310 Donkin Rd, Utchee Creek QLD 4871, Australia
Prepared 09 September 2026