# Fishbone Fern (*Nephrolepis cordifolia*)

The Fishbone Fern is a lovely green plant with long, wavy leaves that look like fish bones! It's great for adding a splash of nature to your home or garden.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Forests

![Fishbone Fern](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Starr_070221-4863_Nephrolepis_cordifolia.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_070221-4863_Nephrolepis_cordifolia.jpg)

## Appearance

The Fishbone Fern has long, slender fronds that are a vibrant green, with many small, oval leaflets arranged neatly along a central stem, resembling the bones of a fish. Its fronds can grow quite long, giving the plant a graceful, arching appearance. This fern's compact growth often creates a bushy mound, setting it apart from more feathery fern types.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Polypodiopsida
- **Order:** Polypodiales
- **Family:** Nephrolepidaceae
- **Genus:** Nephrolepis

## Interesting facts

- Ferns like this one were growing on Earth even before dinosaurs roamed!
- Instead of seeds, this fern makes super tiny, dust-like spores to reproduce!
- Its unique 'fishbone' fronds inspired its common name, a perfect match!
- You might find tiny brown bumps under its leaves; those are spore cases!

## Special abilities

- **Water Storage Power:** Fishbone Fern can grow small, round tubers underground that store water and nutrients, helping it survive dry periods.
- **Spore Shooter:** This fern reproduces by releasing tiny spores from the underside of its fronds, which can travel far and grow new plants.
- **Rapid Spreader:** The Fishbone Fern can quickly spread across areas using underground stems called rhizomes, making it a fast colonizer.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-90 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Garden Snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — Often feeds on its tender fronds.
- **Eaten by:** [Leopard Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard-slug) (*Limax maximus*) — A frequent consumer of its foliage.
- **Shelter:** [Field Cricket](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-cricket) (*Gryllus bimaculatus*) — Hides amongst its dense fronds.

## Traits

- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always wash your hands after touching plants, just to be safe!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Fishbone Fern?

Compare frond shape, how the leaflets are arranged, the stalk, and any spore clusters you can see. A single detached leaflet often hides the plant's overall growth pattern. Fern Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Fishbone Fern?

30-90 cm

### How wide does Fishbone Fern spread?

30-60 cm

### Is Fishbone Fern edible?

No

### Is Fishbone Fern toxic?

None

### What is Fishbone Fern's lifecycle?

Perennial

### Where is Fishbone Fern usually found?

Forests

## Where to spot

- [Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/amy-b-h-greenwell-ethnobotanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden
- [Fort Caroline](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-caroline) — Florida, US · National Park
- [Okinawa Prefectural Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/okinawa-prefectural-forest) — Okinawa, JP · Park
- [B-52 Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/b-52-park) — Florida, US · Park

[View all places to see Fishbone Fern](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/fishbone-fern)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Fishbone Fern: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fishbone-fern)