Java Fern attached to driftwood is the shortcut past the hardest part of using it — the tying, the waiting, the months before the rhizome grips. This arrives already established on a small piece of wood, ready to place and reposition.
What You'll Receive
- Sold as a Plants on Small Driftwood. (Driftwood size: 2 inches)
Plant Profile
- Common name — Java Fern
- Scientific name — Leptochilus pteropus (syn. Microsorum pteropus)
- Also known as — Microsorum, family Polypodiaceae
- Origin — Southeast Asia
- Placement — Midground; sits on the substrate or wedges into hardscape
- Mature height — 6-10 inches
- Growth rate — Slow
Care
- Difficulty — Beginner
- Light — Low to medium
- CO₂ — Not required
- Water — 68-82°F, pH 6.0-7.5
- Substrate — None needed; feeds from the water column
- Growth habit — Amphibious epiphyte
- Propagation — Rhizome division
Grower's Notes
- Do not bury the wood. Set it on the substrate or wedge it between rocks. Pushing it under gravel buries the rhizome, and a buried Java Fern rhizome rots — the single most common way this plant is killed.
- Black spots on old leaves are baby plants, not disease. Java Fern reproduces by growing plantlets along the leaf margins. Leave a spotted leaf in place until each plantlet has roots and two or three leaves, then detach and attach it somewhere new.
- Keep the light low. It grows slowly enough that strong lighting mostly feeds algae on the leaves. Shaded positions produce cleaner, darker fronds.
- New driftwood may float. Weigh it down or wedge it in place for the first week or two until it waterlogs. Do not bury it to hold it down.
- It feeds from the water, not the substrate. Root tabs do nothing here. A basic liquid fertilizer is all it needs, and even that is optional in a stocked tank.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Java Fern Care Guide.
Notes
- Pictures are not the actual plants you will receive, but a sample representation. Unless specific, we don't guarantee aquatic plants will be free of pests, and pesticides, grow emerged or submerge.
- Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.
At a glance
- Free shipping on orders of $150 or more (after discounts) within the contiguous United States, by USPS.
- Free thermal protection is included with every shipment, all year round.
- Processing: most orders leave us within 1 to 2 business days. Tracking is emailed when your order ships.
- USPS (2 to 5 business days) ships Monday through Saturday.
- UPS 2nd Day Air® ships Monday through Wednesday. Order by Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
- UPS Next Day Air® ships Monday through Thursday. Order by Wednesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
- Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and military addresses ship by USPS at a flat rate shown at checkout.
- Weather holds: during extreme heat or cold we may hold live orders until it's safe to ship.
- We ship within the United States only.
Please bring live plants indoors and unpack them the day they arrive. Every live order is covered by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee.
The complete rules, including lost packages and address issues, are in our Shipping Policy. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.
Every live order is backed by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee. If a plant arrives dead, we'll make it right.
How it works
- Tell us within 24 hours of the delivery time on your tracking.
- Send photos of the affected items in their original, unopened packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label, to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com with your order number.
- We'll make it right with a replacement, store credit or refund for the affected item.
Good to know
- Some melting or yellowing as plants adjust from greenhouse to aquarium life is normal. They regrow from healthy roots and rhizomes.
- Please bring your package indoors and unpack it the day it arrives.
- Free promotional items and shipping charges are not covered.
The complete rules, including what's covered and what voids the guarantee, are in our Returns, Refunds & Live Arrival Guarantee. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.
Please review your state's regulations on restricted plants, as we are committed to not shipping plants that are restricted in your area. Do not release any plants into the wild or waterways, as this can harm local ecosystems by introducing invasive species.
Your cooperation in protecting the environment is appreciated. For continuously updated information, refer to the USDA State Noxious Weed list here.
Thank you for your responsible commitment to environmental preservation.
Customers praised the healthy, vibrant plants with "generous size" and excellent packaging. Most found them "perfect for small aquariums." However, some noted the driftwood floats initially and isn't pre-rooted as expected. One customer mentioned poor customer service timing, though product quality remained high overall.
- Such a vibrant green and a generous size plant. Very happy
- Perfect size for my 5 gallon! Plant is healthy and looks great.
- Beautiful plant. Exceeded expectations.
S
Such a vibrant green and a generous size plant. Very happy
A
I'm in love with the Java Fern and APF delivers like no other. I'm so happy and it looks great in my betta tank!
L
The best quality plants i’ve gotten! It was a little small, but I expected that. Definitely will
be returning for more plants :)
D
Very pleased with healthy plant. It was larger than I expected.
R
Java fern came in padded packaging and was in perfect condition. Looks great in my tank.
A
My questions were not addressed until after I paid for my product, good product and poor customer
T
Driftwood is floating. I hope it sinks
F
Beautiful plant! Love APF!!!
A
These were exactly as described, and are a great addition to a 5 gal (nano) aquarium.
D
VERY NICE LOOKING HEALTHY PLANTS
N
The plants arrived quick and in great condition, I had it for 3 weeks and is doing great.
C
Perfect size for my 5 gallon! Plant is healthy and looks great.
S
I rarely leave reviews but this company is simply amazing. After placing my order online, I immediately received an email thanking me for my purchase and if I had any questions, to please feel free to contact them. AMAZING! Second, I received constant updates from the company regarding my shipment. It was quick by the way! Upon receiving my box, I was quite impressed with how the plants were packaged with such care. The Java Fern was very healthy and looked better than what I expected. This company cares about their customers and it shows.
Thank you!
I look forward to future purchases.
A
I received the plant and the driftwood. I was expecting the plant to be actually rooted to the driftwood and the driftwood to be waterlogged so it would sink.
I will adjust my expectations down, going forward.
The plant was stuck in a drilled hole in the driftwood and held in place by rock wool. I could have easily done that with driftwood I have and could have saved some expense for the driftwood/plant combination.I had to add a weight to the bottom of the wood to get it to sink, rather than float on top.
The plant arrived in good shape and looked good. Since this my very first plant purchase online, I did not know what to expect.
They shipped quickly and the plant was packaged well in a small cardboard box and sealed in a bag inside.
In retrospect, I will never order driftwood/plant combinations again. I will only order plants.
J
Everything that I ordered arrived quickly and super healthy.
A
This java plant on driftwood is absolutely beautiful. Brings my tank to life. I love it and it's the perfect size for my tank.
G
The Java Fern was in excellent packaging and arrived in excellent condition.
c
Beautiful plant. Exceeded expectations. Thank you.
B
Fantastic product so far. No real problems with the plant that won't mend themselves as it acclimates to my tank. The driftwood is fairly sizable (seemed larger than 2 inches as advertised) and the plant is robust with many leaves. I will definitely order more from APF.
M
Great service on time arrival healthy product
K
The java fern I received is beautiful and healthy. A wonderful addition to my tank.
L
Do I need to prep the plant before putting in tank? Soak in peroxide etc?
It's totally up to you.
R
How long is that actual fern from driftwood to tip of plant ?
The driftwood piece itself is a small size, around 2 inches, but the Java Fern attached to it will keep growing well beyond that once it's established in your tank - the leaves themselves typically reach several inches tall over time. Since it's a slow-growing, hardy plant, you'll see it gradually fill out and get taller/bushier the longer it's established, rather than arriving at a fixed final size.
J
I’m concerned about introducing pests ir snails into my tank with new plant purchases. Are you able to ship plants that aren’t tissue culture yet still pest free? I’m considering your Java Fern on driftwood specifically, but am open to other taller plants.
Great question! For plants that aren't tissue culture (which is the only format we can guarantee is fully pest and pesticide-free), we can't promise 100% pest-free since they're grown in outdoor/pond conditions, including the Java Fern on Driftwood. What we'd recommend is giving any non-tissue-culture plant a good rinse and a close visual check (especially the undersides of leaves and nooks in the driftwood) before adding it to your display tank, and quarantining new arrivals for a week or two if you want extra peace of mind. If having a guaranteed pest-free plant is the top priority, our tissue culture line would be the safer bet, while our regular plants (including plants on driftwood) come with the small trade-off of not being able to make that same guarantee.
M
Do you remove the packaging around the fern before placing in aquarium?
No. Simply rinse the plants in freshwater and place them in your aquarium.
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