Species · genus Pteris · Pteridaceae

Slender Brake

Pteris ensiformis Burm.

Also known as: Slender Bracken · Sword Brake

Growth habit

rhizomatous geophyte

Native range

Andaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Bismarck Archipelago, Borneo, Cambodia, Caroline Is., China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Fiji, Hainan, India, Japan, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Marianas, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Philippines, Queensland, Samoa, Solomon Is., Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis-Futuna Is.

Pteris ensiformis — reference photo — Kembangraps · CC0

Cultivars of P. ensiformis

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under P. ensiformis yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A Variegated Slender Brake

Pteris ensiformis 'Evergemiensis' is a tufted, evergreen fern known as the slender brake, valued for its feathery, silvery-white fronds edged in green. It stays compact, reaching only 0.1 to 0.5 metres in height and spread, which suits it well to close quarters such as a terrarium.

Source: RHS

Shade, Moisture, Shelter

This fern prefers full or partial shade rather than bright exposure, and wants soil or a potting mix that stays moist but well-drained, whether loam, chalk, or sand-based, with a neutral to alkaline pH. Outdoors it does best in moist ground enriched with leaf-mould, while in a container under glass it appreciates added limestone chips and high humidity. It is rated H1C, meaning it can only go outside in the summer in the UK and otherwise needs sheltered, frost-free conditions.

Source: RHS

Spores or Rhizome Division

Increase this fern by sowing spores as soon as they ripen, or by dividing its rhizomes in spring.

Source: RHS

Silvery, Feathery Fronds

What sets this fern apart is its variegation: fronds carry a silvery-white centre bordered with green, giving the whole plant a feathery, luminous look. Its habit is tufted rather than sprawling, and the foliage holds through the year as it is evergreen.

Source: RHS

Mostly Trouble-Free

Outdoors this fern is generally free of pests, but under glass it can attract scale insects and eelworms.

Source: RHS

Watch for Sooty Mould

The main disease concern noted for this fern is sooty mould.

Source: RHS

Light Tidying Only

Maintenance is minimal: simply remove dead or damaged fronds as they appear. Left outdoors it takes some five to ten years to reach full maturity.

Source: RHS

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 3-7d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 7 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

13–24 °C

Soil mix

Moisture-retentive, well-draining peat-based mix

Propagation

Division of the clump, or spores

Fertilizing

Dilute liquid feed monthly in the growing season

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Never flowers; reproduces by spores

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 3-7d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Slender Brake yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.