Ornatec InternationalSpecies reference sheet ยท ornatecinternational.com
Pteris ensiformis
Slender Brake Fern
Pteris ensiformis is a small, finely divided brake fern from tropical Asia and the Pacific, and the forms usually grown carry a clean silver-white band along the centre of each frond division. At 0.3 to 0.5 metres it stays low enough to work as a shade-bed ground layer rather than a specimen.
It is used in shaded courtyards, atrium beds and beneath dense canopy, and it takes container work and interior conditions as readily as open ground.
Specifications
- Height0.3 to 0.5 metres
- Width0.3 to 0.5 metres
- Native toTropical and subtropical Asia, northern Australia and the Pacific Islands
- FoliageFinely divided fronds, often banded silver-white along the midrib in the cultivated forms; evergreen
- Growth rateModerate
Conditions
- SoilPrefers moist, humus-rich, free-draining soils
- LightPartial shade to deep shade
- WaterRegular; keep evenly moist and never allow the crown to dry out
- ClimateThrives in humid tropical and subtropical regions and in conditioned interiors elsewhere
Additional Features
- UsesShaded ground layers, atrium and courtyard beds, interior planters and terrariums
- SpacingPlant 0.3 metres apart for a closed shade-bed layer
- Low MaintenanceRemove tired fronds at the base; no other routine care needed
- Pest ResistanceGenerally trouble free in a humid shaded position
- FormLow, soft, finely textured clump
- VersatilityPerforms in open ground, in containers and in interior planting from the same stock
The Slender Brake Fern is the fine-textured filler for deep shade, small enough to sit under everything else without competing with it.
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