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African Water Fern
Bolbitis heudelotii
Family: Dryopteridaceae
Bolbitis heudelotii (African Water Fern) is a large, impressive aquatic fern from African rivers with deeply pinnate, translucent dark-green fronds that can reach 40–50 cm. Like Java Fern, the rhizome must be attached to hardscape and not buried. It thrives in moderate flow and benefits from soft water; hard, alkaline water stunts growth. Its bold, architectural texture makes it a dramatic midground to background accent plant.
Keeping this species
- co2
- Beneficial for healthy growth
- light
- Low to medium (20–70 PAR)
- placement
- Midground to background; attach rhizome to wood or rock
- substrate
- Not planted in substrate
- growth rate
- Slow
- propagation
- Rhizome division
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Water it likes
- ph
- 5.5–7.0
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- hardness
- 1–10 dGH
- temperature
- 72–82°F (22–28°C)