Ornatec InternationalSpecies reference sheet ยท ornatecinternational.com
Phlebodium aureum
Blue Star Fern
Unusually among ferns, Phlebodium aureum is grown as much for colour as for texture: the deeply lobed fronds of the Blue Star Fern carry a distinct blue-grey cast, and they rise from thick creeping rhizomes covered in golden-brown fur.
It is an epiphyte by habit, so it wants bark and air around its roots rather than soil, and it is used in shaded planters, on vertical displays and in interior schemes.
Specifications
- Height0.5 to 1 metre
- Width0.6 to 1.2 metres, spreading by creeping rhizomes
- Native toThe tropical and subtropical Americas
- FoliageDeeply lobed blue-grey to glaucous green fronds rising from golden-brown furred rhizomes; evergreen
- Growth rateModerate
Conditions
- SoilRequires a very free-draining bark-based or epiphytic mix; rots in heavy wet soil
- LightPartial shade to bright indirect light
- WaterModerate; allow the surface to dry slightly between waterings
- ClimateThrives in humid tropical and subtropical conditions, and in stable interiors
Additional Features
- FormCreeping golden rhizomes carrying blue-toned fronds, effective at eye level and above
- UsesIdeal for interior landscaping, shaded planters, hanging displays and epiphytic vertical work
- SpacingPlant 0.4 to 0.6 metres apart
- Low MaintenanceRemove spent fronds and keep the rhizome sitting on the surface, never buried
- Pest ResistanceGenerally sound; scale can appear in still interior air
- VersatilityGrown in planters, in hanging baskets or mounted as a true epiphyte
The Blue Star Fern brings an unexpected colour to shaded planting, and its epiphytic habit opens display options that ground ferns cannot offer.
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 08 September 2026