Drynaria quercifolia

Genus & species | Common name:
Drynaria quercifolia | Oak-leaf Fern — Named for its sterile fronds that resemble the lobed leaves of an oak tree.

How to grow:
Best grown mounted on wood or in hanging baskets with coarse, airy medium. Requires bright, filtered light and good air circulation. Keep moist during growth; allow slight drying between waterings in cooler months.

Growing requirements:

• a) Water: Moderate; moist during growth, slightly drier in dormancy

• b) Soil / substrate: Coarse, well-aerated mix of bark, sphagnum moss, and charcoal

• c) Humidity: Moderate to high (50–70%)

• d) Sunlight: Bright indirect to filtered sun (8,000–20,000 lux); 15–25W grow light

• e) Temperature: 20–30 °C; avoid below 15 °C

Growth habit:
Epiphytic or lithophytic; creeping rhizome with two frond types (sterile and fertile)

Growing season & conditions:
Active during warm, humid months; slows in cool or dry weather

Acclimatization on transport:
Older sterile fronds may brown; new growth resumes under stable conditions

Fun fact:
In Ayurveda, its rhizome (pankal) is used in traditional remedies for bone health and joint pain.