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Description
The African water fern is a beautiful, time-tested aquatic fern with transparent bottle green feathered leaves. It is a popular plant in aquascaping, where it is mainly used for decorating the hardscape (rocks and driftwood). It is especially nice in Nature Aquaria, but also highly decorative in every standard planted tank. Bolbitis heudelotii attaches itself to objects but will also grow on the substate. Just make sure you do not cover the rhizome as it might otherwise rot away. Growth is sped up a lot by the addition of CO2 and fertilisation in the water. Bolbitis heudelotii develops best in soft, slightly acidic water, however, it is a relatively undemanding plant and will also grow in medium-hard water. Easy to propagate: Simply cut the creeping rhizome. Tolerates hard pruning.
Bolbitis heudelotii (Bory ex FÉE) Alston, or African water fern, is widely distributed in the African tropics. There it grows attached to rocks or driftwood with its roots, in spray zones and inundation areas of rapidly flowing rivers and rivulets. In West Afrika it is often found in the same habitats as Anubias barteri varieties.
Very much like Java fern (Microsorum pteropus) and Anubias, Bolbitis heudelotii possesses a creeping rhizome, on which the leaves and roots grow. Its submersed leaves are single to double pinnate, transparent and bottle-green, whereas the emersed leaves are single pinnate, of a matte green, and rather hard. The entire plant is brittle.
There seem to be several forms of B. heudelotii in cultivation, which differ a bit even when kept under the same conditions. (read more)
Synonyms | Gymnopteris heudelotii Bory ex Fée |
Complete botanical name | Bolbítis heudelótii (Bory ex Fée) Alston |
Family | Dryopteridaceae |
Genus | Bolbitis |
Difficulty | easy |
Usage | Epiphyte (growing on hardscape), Background, Midground |
Growth | slow |
pH value | 5 - 7 |
Temperature tolerance | 18 - 27°C |
Carbonate hardness | 0 - 12°dKH |
General hardness | 0 - 30°dGH |
Propagation | Rhizomteilung, Splitting, cutting off daughter plants |
Can grow emersed? | yes |
Source | Flowgrow |
Synonyms |
Gymnopteris heudelotii Bory ex Fée |
Complete botanical name |
Bolbítis heudelótii (Bory ex Fée) Alston |
Family |
Dryopteridaceae |
Genus |
Bolbitis |
Difficulty |
easy |
Usage |
Epiphyte (growing on hardscape), Background, Midground |
Growth |
slow |
pH value |
5 - 7 |
Temperature tolerance |
18 - 27°C |
Carbonate hardness |
0 - 12°dKH |
General hardness |
0 - 30°dGH |
Propagation |
Rhizomteilung, Splitting, cutting off daughter plants |
Can grow emersed? |
yes |
Source |
Flowgrow |
Customer reviews
23 Reviews
5 Stars(16) | |
4 Stars(2) | |
3 Stars(3) | |
2 Stars(2) | |
1 Star(0) |

Bit small for the prize but in very good condition . I t was very well packed too . .

Looks great and is adaptable to lots of wanted parameters. Slow grower (less trimming). Pots arrived with big and healthy plants).

Received a large mature pot which compared to Tropicas plant size, this was maybe 5 pots worth making it a real bargain for the price.