Jointed Fern

Botanical name: Arthropteris tenella
Common name(s): Jointed Fern
Synonyms: Polypodium filipes, Polypodium tenellum

Plant facts:
A delicate scrambling rainforest fern found in New Zealand and parts of the southwest Pacific. Jointed fern is valued for its slender creeping habit, finely textured fronds, and ability to climb across rocks and tree trunks in humid forest environments.

Natural habitat:
Occurs naturally in coastal and lowland forest, scrambling over damp rocks, logs, cliff faces, and climbing up tree trunks in shaded humid habitats.

Growing environment:
Partial shade to deep shade, Frost free conditions, Humid & Free draining soils.
Thrives in sheltered forest-like environments with consistent moisture and good air circulation.

Distribution:
Indigenous to New Zealand, Australia, Lord Howe Island, and Norfolk Island.
In New Zealand found from the Three Kings Islands south to Banks Peninsula and the Chatham Islands.

Height:
Fronds approximately 12–30 cm long, occasionally larger

Width:
Rhizomes may spread over 1 m or more across suitable surfaces

Flowering:
Not applicable — spore producing fern

Fruiting:
Not applicable — reproduces by spores

Uses:

• Native shade gardens
• Epiphytic and vertical planting
• Rainforest-style landscaping
• Mossy rock gardens
• Tree fern underplanting
• Habitat planting in humid gardens

Appearance:

Growth habit:
A creeping rhizomatous fern that scrambles across rocks, trunks, and forest surfaces.

Rhizomes:
Slender creeping rhizomes densely covered in reddish-brown scales.

Fronds:
Dark green narrow fronds with distinctly stalked pinnae arranged alternately along the rachis. Fertile fronds often have scalloped margins.

Spores:
Round sori arranged in a single row on either side of the midrib near the margins of fertile pinnae. Indusia absent.

Ecology:
An important component of humid coastal and lowland forest ecosystems where it contributes to epiphytic and rock-dwelling fern diversity.

Associated wildlife:
Provides microhabitat for small forest invertebrates and contributes to humid forest ecosystem structure.

How to grow:
Best grown in frost-free humid conditions with shade and excellent drainage. Performs particularly well when allowed to climb over logs, rocks, tree fern trunks, or shaded retaining walls.

Propagation:
Easy from division of creeping rhizomes or from spores.

Garden value:
A refined and elegant native fern ideal for rainforest-style gardens, terrariums, shaded walls, and epiphytic displays. Its delicate climbing habit adds texture and softness to shaded native plantings.