While visiting Kyoto, Japan, I noticed this neat plant in wooded areas. Japanese Beard Fern is a type of small fern also known as Green Penny Fern. It is native to southern and eastern Asia, from India to Japan.
It can grow directly from well-drained soil, but is also commonly found on the surface of trees and rocks. Japanese Beard Fern does not grow average-looking fern fronds, but it’s still popular as a potted plant.
This plant thrives in low light conditions and it most often found in shaded areas. High humidity is essential for its growth, so a naturally damp environment is necessary as well. I most often saw this plant in cool, shadowy habitats.
Japanese Beard Fern is an evergreen epiphyte. An epiphyte, from Ancient Greek epi-, meaning “upon,” and phutón, meaning “plant,” is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant.
Epiphytes derive their moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around them. This is a different biological adaptation than deriving water and nutrients from soil.
The sterile fronds are round to elliptic, thick and alternate. The fertile fronds are linear to spatulate and standing up. Their leaflets are only about half an inch in size.
It was neat to see this unique and interesting plant decorating trees and rocks while hiking through the woods on our trip to Japan.