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Java Fern 'Windelov' (Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov')

'Windelov' is a Java Fern selection whose leaf tips split into delicate, antler-like crests, giving it a softer, lacier silhouette than the plain species. Care is identical and just as forgiving — low light, no CO2, rhizome tied or glued to wood or stone and never buried — so it is an easy way to add fine texture to a low-tech tank. The cultivar takes its name from Holger Windeløv, the Danish plantsman who introduced it to the hobby.

Care specifications

TypeRhizome
DifficultyEasy
LightLow (10–40 µmol PAR)
CO2Not needed
Fertilizer demandLow
Growth rateSlow
Max height8 in
Spread6 in
PlacementMidground, Epiphyte
Attaches to hardscapeYes
Snail & shrimp safeYes
Temperature64–82 °F
pH6–7.5
ColorGreen
TrimmingMinimal
StylesNature, Jungle, Biotope

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Java Fern 'Windelov'

Java Fern 'Windelov' (Lacey Java Fern)

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Propagation

Detach the plantlets that form on the finely branched leaf tips, or divide the rhizome into sections and reattach each to hardscape.

Frequently asked questions

How is 'Windelov' different from regular Java Fern?

Only in leaf shape. Where standard Java Fern ends in a simple point, 'Windelov' fans out into a frilly, finely divided crest, and it tends to stay a bit smaller and bushier. Growing requirements, hardiness, and the rule about keeping the rhizome exposed are all the same.

Why are the tips of my Windelov turning brown?

The intricate tips are the first place to show stress from strong light or poor water flow, and a little browning at the very ends is common as the plant settles in. Trim the worst-affected leaves, keep it in a shadier spot, and let new growth come in; persistent black patches usually mean the rhizome got buried.

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