How to Grow and Care for Angiopteris

The oriental vessel fern can be found mainly in Southeast Asia and Oceania. It goes by many names, and the oil from its rhizomes can be employed for its pleasant scent. This fern regularly escapes captivity, and is listed as invasive in Hawaii, Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Cuba. Fossils that appear extremely similar to the oriental vessel fern have been dated to the Paleozoic Era over 252 million years ago.

Mules-foot fern is a striking fern known for its impressive size and longevity. It features large, arching fronds that can extend several meters in length, providing a lush, prehistoric ambiance to its environment. This fern thrives in the understory of humid, subtropical forests, where its broad, light-green leaves capture the dappled sunlight. Mules-foot fern is characterized by its massive, woody rhizomes and distinctive leaflet shape, making it a robust species well-adapted to the moist, sheltered conditions of its natural habitat.

Angiopteris yunnanensis is an ancient fern species that has recently been completely genetically sequenced to support its conservation. You can only see this rare fern in the wild in tropical and subtropical woodlands. It is part of the unresolved complex belonging to *Angiopteris evecta* and is undergoing further study.

Turnip fern is a large terrestrial fern with broad, arching fronds. It thrives in humid, shaded forest environments where moisture is abundant. The fronds of turnip fern resemble the leaves of a Lygodium, contributing to its name. Its distinctive fiddleheads unfurl in a spiral fashion, a characteristic that, along with its massive root system, has allowed it to persist through varying climatic conditions.