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House Holly-Fern

3.8 out of 5 (4 experiences)

Browns easily

Large, lush leaves

Also known as

house holly-fern and Japanese holly fern

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Cyrtomium falcatum

Genus

Cyrtomium

Family

Polypodiaceae

Order

Polypodiales

How to care for House Holly-Fern

💦 Water

How often to water your House Holly-Fern

House Holly-Fern needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

☀️ Light

Finding light for House Holly-Fern in your home

House Holly-Fern may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.

Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of House Holly-Fern in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize House Holly-Fern

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for House Holly-Fern: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your House Holly-Fern after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #HouseHollyFern

💡 FAQs

⭐ Difficulty Level

House Holly-Fern is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!

How to Grow House Holly-Fern →

Benefits of Growing House Holly-Fern →

Common House Holly-Fern Problems →

Indoor Care Guide for House Holly-Fern →

Outdoor Care Guide for House Holly-Fern →

💦 Water Needs

House Holly-Fern prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

House Holly-Fern Water Frequency →

House Holly-Fern Root Rot →

☀️ Sunlight Needs

House Holly-Fern may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves 🍃 without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

House Holly-Fern Light Requirements →

House Holly-Fern Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →

🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

House Holly-Fern is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.

🪴 Soil

House Holly-Fern does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!

Best Soil Mix for House Holly-Fern →

Best Pots for House Holly-Fern →

When and How to Successfully Repot House Holly-Fern →

What Are Healthy House Holly-Fern Roots →

⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

House Holly-Fern grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.

House Holly-Fern Lifecycle →

House Holly-Fern Size Guide →

How and When to Prune House Holly-Fern →

🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
House Holly-Fern can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 6a-10b. Find your local hardiness zone here.

House Holly-Fern Temperature Tolerance →

House Holly-Fern Hardiness Zones →

Landscaping Ideas with House Holly-Fern →

When to Plant House Holly-Fern →

How to Plant House Holly-Fern →

Where to Plant House Holly-Fern →

Winter Care for House Holly-Fern →

Best Companion Plants for House Holly-Fern →

Is House Holly-Fern a Weed? →

🌱 Propagation

House Holly-Fern can be propagated by division into new individual plants.

Check to see if there is more than one plant. In some cases they may still be beneath the soil surface. If you feel confident, you may remove the soil to check for baby plantlets below!
If there are multiple plants growing, unpot the plant and gently tug the plants apart, being careful not to disturb too many of the roots. They may be connected by large root segments which you may need to break to free the plantlet.
Pot up the new plant in well-draining soil
Repot the parent plant back into its original pot

How to Propagate House Holly-Fern →

🍂 Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in House Holly-Fern, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!

🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.