Garden
Blue Star Fern (Phlebodium Aureum) Care, Problems, & Propagation Tips
Whether you’ve just brought home a new plant (Blue Star Fern) and learned to create the most comfortable environment for it, or you’re looking for some suggestions for adding a low-maintenance houseplant to your collection, this guide will help.
Today we will be discussing the Blue Star Fern.
Blue Star Fern:
Blue Star Fern is essentially an Aureum meaning golden yellow. The Thing tells us that Fern, with its larger blue-green and smaller golden-yellow leaves, is the perfect ornament to fill the corners of your home.
Plant Profile:
Scientific Name: Phlebodium aureum
Genus: Phlebodium
Plant Type: Houseplant, Fern
Growing Season: Year-round (requires a little extra attention during winter)
Hardiness Zones: 1-13 (South West)
Famous Names: Blue Star Fern, Golden Serpent Fern, Gold Foot Fern, Cabbage Palm Fern, Golden Polybody, Palm Boot Fern, Bear’s Paw Fern
A detailed guide discussing how to host this plant in your home and welcome it with gentle care to make it a perfect fit for the Blue Star Fern.
Blue star fern care – Pros:
- Low maintenance plant – no strict irrigation routine
- Relatively immune to insects and mites
- No hard or soft fertilizer required
- No heat required – grows well at room temperature
We’ll discuss blue star fern care tips in detail in the following lines; Before that, let’s take some notes on getting your home ready for the new guest.
Readying your home for Blue Star Fern:
Did you know that plants have tantrums just like any other living thing, and you can make them growth friendly with standard but simple precautions?
Yeah! Plants tell you differently if they need something. For example, if you observe the Majesty palm plant, it will extend itself to the brighter source, and this will astonish people who are unaware that the plants are also telling their needs.
All you need is to listen to their needs.
So, what should you do when preparing your home for a new plant?
Here’s a ground rule:
You will need to mimic the environment in which the plant is accustomed to live.
For example, if you bring a succulent home, check the habitat it grows in and formulate the location accordingly.
The same environment may not be suitable for a plant that hates moisture and is an outdoor summer plant.
In short, it is imperative to understand the unique requirements of each plant, which may or may not change.
Here’s how you’ll do all the management when preparing the Blue Star Fern’s home and even these are low maintenance facilities.
1. Placement:
A window where you can manage indirect sunlight from behind curtains or a place that stays naturally bright most of the day is perfect for holding the Polypodiaceae Aureum pot.
North-facing windows are ideal for holding a Blue Star Fern.
The natural habitat of the Epiphyte Polypodiaceae Aureum (the botanical name for the Blue star fern) is the tropical and subtropical forests of the Americas.
Polypodiaceae Aureum grows on the stems of other plants, but needs minimal nutrients to thrive, so it never absorbs energies or all of the host’s nutrients.
This epiphyte’s undergrowth, says Blue Star Ferns, needs wet soil, indirect light, and the occasional sprinkling of water.
Therefore, place them where all this can be done:
Once again, your plant will let you know if it’s getting the right amount of sunlight. How? Thanks to its leaves.
- If the brightness is more than necessary, you will see the green color fade from the leaves.
- If the brightness is less than necessary, you will see a hindrance in growth.
It can only tolerate the delicate direct rays of the early morning or afternoon sun.
2. Potting or Repotting Your Blue Star Fern:
In addition, you should not forget not to change the pot immediately after receiving your plant. Why? The plant came with it because it got used to the potted environment.
Give your plant enough time to acclimate for a few days and take good care of your plant, the Blue Star Fern.
Blue Star Fern Care:
Here are the details on how, when, where and how to care for your blue star fern plant:
1. Watering Routine:
Blue Star ferns hate being soaked in water, but they don’t tolerate dryness either. What does it mean?
It just means that you need to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged, as excess liquid can irritate the growth of this plant.
Use distilled water as Blue Star Fern can’t stand salts and chemicals.
Before watering you will test the knuckle as discussed on the monstera Adansonii care blog.
If you find the soil a little dry but cold, water it right away and wait a little longer if it’s still damp.
It’s better to just sprinkle water on the soil or around the pot than wet the leaves and crown.
Overwatering can cause serious problems and cause serious illness for your plant. Like:
- Root rotting
- Mildew eruption
- Southern stem blight
2. Humidity Management:
What epiphyte plant does not like moisture? None! This is true. And, being an epiphyte, Blue Star Ferns love moisture, just like Rosy Maidenhair ferns.
You will need to use different ways to raise the humidity level around your plant.
- Use artificial moisture generators to vaporize the fog and control pest attacks.
- Don’t forget to mist the plant, as it also helps raise moisture levels.
- You can put the plants together in a group to increase the humidity.
- Place your pots in trays of water to increase the steam around.
- Seashells or eggshells filled with water can also increase humidity.
Your plant will sprout well in adequate moist conditions; however, it can also carry moisture in the home.
3. Temperature Toleration:
Almost all ferns, and especially Blue Star Ferns, are hot weather lovers, so they hate the cold and can show tantrums when the thermometer drops.
If it is not treated in cold weather, defoliation may begin until the ambient temperature rises.
Since the Blue Star Fern does not bloom and the leaves are its only beauty, you will need to take precautions to prevent the leaves from falling.
For this;
Raise the temperature around your fern from 57° Fahrenheit to 81° Fahrenheit.
If you’ve kept the blue star fern outside, bring it inside as winter starts to keep up with the temperature.
4. Soil Preps For Blue Star Fern:
Using the right soil is as essential as watering your plant, because it is the soil that helps water to nourish it well.
Therefore, choosing the right floor is vital.
Soil that retains moisture and never lets the plant sweat or drip is ideal for a Blue star fern.
Blue star ferns are epiphytes and are also called Ferns. The plant always likes to stay hydrated.
They also want liquid nutrients to reach all parts of the plant.
For this you will use a soil mix with reduced aeration but still enriched with water-holding properties.
A mix of orchids, porous pots and peat can make an ideal base for the Blue Star Fern.
For this graceful plant to grow well, the soil needs to be acidic as well as aerated.
Also, continue to evaluate soil nutrients from time to time to ensure the plant is getting all the necessary nutrients.
Note: Repotting and pruning are not essential steps in Blue star fern care because it grows slowly and generally needs less of these two things.
However, in some cases, you may have to prune or repot your plant; Helpful points are:
5. Repotting (When & How):
Blue star ferns don’t grow much and can stay in the same house (pot) for two years, and in some cases even longer than that, which is perfectly healthy.
You may see some creepy rhizomes climbing up the rim of the pot, but transplanting this plant elsewhere is fine.
Conditions You Should Keep Your Plant:
- If you see that the plant has outgrown the size of the pot, complete the size and transplant it into another pot.
- If you see that the leaves have lost chloroplast and turned yellow. This is because the soil has lost all its essence and the plant needs a new home.
How to cook blue star fern?
Here is the method:
- Use Terra Cotta Pots:
Terracotta pots have a drainage hole at the bottom that helps drain excess water.
2. Pot Size Should be 1 to 2 inches big:
The container should only be 1 to 2 inches larger than before.
3. Choose Complementing Soil:
Do not change the nutrients of the soil too much from the previous one, as the plant is used to staying there happily and will not tolerate much change.
4. Choose Spring Season:
Although blue star ferns are year-round plants, growth is still at its peak in the spring. It helps the plant to get used to the environment of its new home.
Precautions to take:
- Remain gentle
- Don’t repot without reason
- Don’t burry creepy rhizomes in the ground
6. Pruning:
Often pruning will be necessary for the sake of Blue Star Fern Care, not to control your plant’s growth, as you would for other indoor plants.
While pruning, you will:
- Dead foliage
- Dead leaves
- Yellowing leaves
In addition, the cutting tool should be cleaned, sharpened and specially made for plant pruning.
Blue Star Fern Problems:
Here are some common problems that can occur in blue-start companies:
Blue Star Fern Problems From Insects and Pests:
Like other ferns, the Blue Star plant is prone to insect attacks.
Here are some specific bugs that might love to invade:
- Mealybugs
- Thrips
- Spider mites
- Aphids
- Scales
Also, keep in mind that these insects don’t come alone, they come in swarms and hide under the fuzzy rhizome covering.
There, they are protected from being seen and continue to eat and harm your plant.
How do you know if your plant is under attack?
As we mentioned earlier, the plant will tell itself. If you see more white spots on your plant than usual, it means the plant is under pest attack.
It is recommended to identify the error before any uninstallation. The general to specialist solutions form may be required, for example:
- Using insecticidal soap
- horticultural oils
- mite killer pads
If the plant is under severe attack, reposition it and isolate it before the insects reach the rest of your green collection.
Blue Star Fern Problems Diseases and Issues:
The plant is not prone to diseases; but a wrong routine can get you and even your healthy plant in trouble.
Such as:
- Root Rot: If you over-water your plant, it may encounter problems such as Root Rot. Remember that root rot does not take days; in fact, just a few hours of excessive watering can cause it.
Therefore, do not over-water your plant.
2. Southern stem blight: Blue star fern is a sensitive plant and likes to be touched with cleaned hands and tools.
Therefore, sterilize your tools thoroughly before using them.
3. Mildew: If you keep it too wet, dust like rust may appear on the leaves.
Therefore, do not water the leaves.
Blue star fern propagation:
Propagation is possible, but requires extreme patience as the plant takes forever to grow. If you are interested in breeding or growing Blue Star Ferns at home, here are the steps to follow:
Ground Preparation:
- Get terracotta pots and fill them with earth
- Prepare well-mixed soil
Taking cuttings:
- Cut off rhizomes that have enough leaves growing on them
- Cut the rhizomes using cleaned and sharp tools
Hoe and Sowing:
- Place the rhizomes on top of the soil without covering them.
- Steam the water over
Measures:
- don’t give too much water
- Be patient
- Take care of baby Blue Star Fern, just like the mother plant
Blue Star Fern – FAQs:
Here are some questions our readers sent us for discussion:
1. Is Blue Star Fern Toxic To Cats?
Number! Epiphyte fern is not toxic to humans or animals or even other plants. The plant is safe for cats, dogs and other animals.
In addition, Blue Star Fern rhizomes are widely used in medicine.
2. What Are Blue Star Fern Brown Tips?
Blue Star Fern can turn brown, pierce and grow for a variety of reasons. Submerged plant, triple attack or root rot etc.
Here are some tips to overcome this:
- Prune off the damaged leaves
- Water your plant regularly
- Use anti-pest remedies
Bottom Line:
The discussion isn’t over yet. There are many more questions we have received from you about Blue Star Ferns. Our team is conducting research and we will update you accordingly.
Until then, if you have anything to say, feel free to use the comment box for suggestions.
Have a great plant day!
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