Java Fern

Microsorum pteropus

Java Fern is perhaps the most universally recommended plant for beginner aquarists. Originating from Southeast Asia, it is an epiphyte, meaning that in nature it grows attached to rocks and driftwood rather than buried in soil. In the aquarium, planting its rhizome (the thick green stem the roots grow from) directly into the gravel will cause it to rot and die. It must be tied or glued to hardscape. It is incredibly hardy and tolerates very low lighting and a wide range of water parameters. Because of its tough, leathery leaves, it is one of the few plants that herbivorous fish (like goldfish and certain cichlids) will usually leave alone. It reproduces by growing miniature 'plantlets' directly on the edges of its older leaves, which eventually detach and float away to root elsewhere.