Botanical name:

Asplenium oblongifolium

Common name(s):

Huruhuru whenua

About:

Asplenium oblongifolium features stout stems that often develop into thick, woody masses above ground. This large fern is characterised by its glossy green pinnae, which taper to a pointed tip. The underside of the fronds displays a distinctive herringbone pattern of sori, making it easily recognisable.

Natural habitat:

Coastal to montane (but mostly found within coastal and lowland areas). Occupying a diverse range of habitats from coastal cliffs and rock stacks to deep forest where it may be an epiphyteor (grow on the ground).

Growing environment:

Shade, Wetland, Wind, Coastal & Free draining tolerant.

Endemic distribution:

New Zealand: Kermadec, Three Kings, North, South, and Chatham Islands. In the South Island known from the Marlborough sounds south to Hokitika and Banks Peninsula.

Height: 1.5m

Flowering: N/A Spore producing.

Fruiting: N/A

Uses:

Forests, container friendly & indoor suitable.

How to grow:

Easily grown though often rather slow to establish. An attractive and popular plant widely used for mass plantings in shaded sites. An excellent pot plant. Be vigilant for scale and mealy bug infestations which all New Zealand asplenia are susceptible to.