Heart fern, an unusual and very cute little fern.

Willow fern, also known as heart fern, is characterized by small, delicate heart-shaped leaves. It is a fern with a rather peculiar habit of growing on top of other plants in rainforests. Therefore, it needs a little different care than 'regular' ferns.

Care.

Keep the soil slightly moist and place it in a location with as high humidity as possible and bright, indirect light. The substrate should be well-drained, as this fern often grows as an epiphyte in nature. Overwatering is therefore not tolerated.

Morning or evening sun can be tolerated if the humidity is high enough, but should generally be avoided during the summer! Bathrooms, plant cabinets or terrariums are therefore the best options for caring for this plant.

Botanical description.

Heart fern (Mickelopteris cordata) is often called Hemionitis arifolia, but this is actually a synonym. The species has had a rather messy taxonomic history, but since 2020 it has finally been given its own, independent name, Mickelopteris cordata.

Appearance.

This very beautiful fern is characterized by its heart-shaped leaves, which are covered with dark hairs. The leaves grow on long black-brown stems. In addition, it is dimorphic (two-dimensional) and, at a certain size, forms not only its trophophylls for photosynthesis but also sporophylls for spore reproduction, which are characterized, among other things, by significantly longer stems. In its preferred habitats in Southeast Asia, it grows both epiphytically and terrestrially in loose substrates.