Jill Raggett

The King Fern is a primitive hardy fern that is grown for its large fronds and upright habit. It is planted in large gardens or parks in the understory along water courses or used in damp gullies for a tropical effect. It is also used in subtropical or tropical settings and in cold climates it is grown under glass as a specimen in tubs or planter boxes where it needs to be kept moist to avoid wilting.  It prefers a well drained but reliably moist organic rich sandy-alluvial to clay loam that is tending acidic with a pH range from 6.0 to 7.0. It grows in a wind protected semi-shaded to a sunny humid position and is frost and drought tender.

Habitat: They are endemic to rainforests of northern Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, and south Pacific Islands.

untitled by paletendril on Flickr.

Angiopteris evecta (G. Forst.) Hoffm. by Ahmad Fuad Morad on Flickr.