How to grow Whisk Fern

Psilotum nudum

Medium

Medium to high light. Moist to dry garden soil, potting soil or moss. Good drainage.

Growing Whisk fern from seed

Spores can take up to a year to germinate, and require darkness.

How long does Whisk fern take to grow?

These estimates for how long Whisk fern takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

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Whisk fern Etymology

The name of the genus is apparently from the Greek word ‘psilos’, which means ‘naked or smooth’, in reference to the smooth branches that lack true leaves.

The Hawaiian name ‘moa’ comes from the word for ‘chicken’ which refers to the wiry stems’ resemblance to chicken feet.

Apparently in Hawaii a game was played with the stems of ‘moa’, in which the players would interlock their stems, and then after pulling them apart would judge the winner by intactness of stem. The winner would have to crow like a rooster.

Other names for Whisk fern

Moa (hawaiian), Skeleton fork fern

Lycopodium nudum, Psilotum floridanum, Psilotum triquetrum, Bernhardia antillarum, Hoffmannia aphylla