Blue Star Fern
A fern with blue-grey, deeply lobed fronds and fuzzy golden rhizomes creeping over the soil. One of the easiest true ferns indoors: it tolerates lower humidity and drier soil than most, and is safe for pets.
Blue star is the fern for people who have given up on ferns. The fronds are a dusty blue-green, thick and leathery, cut into broad wavy lobes, and they grow from furry golden-brown rhizomes that creep across the top of the pot like caterpillars. It looks soft and tropical and behaves like something much tougher.
It is an epiphyte from the Americas, and its thick fronds and water-storing rhizomes mean it copes with drier air and drier soil than the delicate ferns. It does not shed, it tolerates a missed watering, and it is safe for pets.
Light
Medium, indirect light. A north or east window is ideal; it also does well a few feet from a west window. It tolerates low light, growing slower. Direct sun scorches and fades the blue.
Water
Water when the top inch is dry, weekly or so in summer and every ten days in winter. Water the soil, not the rhizomes, which rot if kept wet. It tolerates drying better than a Boston fern, but repeated drought browns the frond edges. Drain well.
Soil and potting
A loose, airy epiphyte mix: potting soil with orchid bark and perlite. Pot with drainage, and shallow and wide rather than deep, since the rhizomes creep across the surface. Repot every two years in spring, keeping the rhizomes on top of the soil, never buried.
Feeding
Half-strength balanced feed every six weeks in spring and summer.
Propagation
Cut a section of rhizome with a couple of fronds and roots, and pin it onto the surface of a fresh pot of mix. Keep humid until new fronds appear. Easy.
In a hot, dry home
The best true fern for a dry home. It manages at forty percent humidity, the thick fronds resist crisping, and the rhizomes carry it through a hot week. Keep it off the direct AC stream, use a pebble tray, and water when the top inch dries, which will be about weekly in summer.
Blue Star Fern varieties
Same care, different look. These are the named forms you will see for sale.
- Blue Star
The compact blue-grey form with wavy, lobed fronds.
- Davana
Frillier, more ruffled frond edges in the same blue-green.
Problems and fixes
Brown, crispy frond edges
Likely cause: Dry air or drought
Fix: Raise humidity a little; water more consistently.
Rhizomes going soft and dark
Likely cause: Rhizomes buried or kept wet
Fix: Keep them on the surface and water the soil around them.
Fronds fading, pale patches
Likely cause: Direct sun
Fix: Move to filtered light.
Older fronds yellowing
Likely cause: Normal ageing
Fix: Trim at the base.
Blue Star Fern questions
Is blue star fern pet safe?
Yes. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Should I bury the fuzzy rhizomes?
No. They belong on top of the soil. Buried rhizomes rot.
Is it easier than a Boston fern?
Yes. It tolerates drier air and drier soil and does not shed.
