🌿 Microsorum pteropus ‘Red’ – Colorful Java Fern with Subtle Red Highlights

Microsorum pteropus 'Red', widely known as Java Fern Red, is a beautiful and regionally diverse variety of Java Fern that brings subtle coloration and texture to freshwater aquascapes. Originally named after the Indonesian island of Java, this species also occurs naturally in Malaysia, Thailand, Northeast India, and parts of China, where different geographic variants contribute to a wide range of leaf sizes and shapes.

What makes Java Fern Red unique is its blended leaf coloration—mature leaves range from light to dark green, while new growth often displays hints of pink or light red, especially under moderate lighting. These soft red tones provide a natural, earthy contrast that adds warmth and richness to planted aquariums without overwhelming other elements in the layout.

Like all Microsorum species, Java Fern Red is a rhizome plant that should be attached to driftwood, rock, or other aquarium decor—never buried in substrate. Grown emersed at Aquarium Plants Factory, it adapts smoothly to submerged conditions and thrives in low- to medium-light tanks without the need for CO₂.

🌟 Key Features:

• Subtle Red and Pink New Growth: Young leaves may show a blush of red or pink tones

• Leaf Variation: Blended green shades with diverse leaf shapes from different native populations

• Attachable Rhizome: Grows best when tied to hardscape—no planting in substrate

• Low Maintenance: Slow-growing and ideal for beginner to advanced aquarists

• Grown Emersed: Transitions easily to submerged aquarium conditions

🔎 Botanical Information:

• Scientific Name: Microsorum pteropus ‘Red’

• Synonyms: Leptochilus pteropus ‘Red’

• Common Names: Java Fern Red

• Plant Type: Rhizome plant

• Placement: Attach to driftwood, stone, or hardscape

• Growth Rate: Slow

• Lighting: Low to Medium

• Origin: Southeast Asia (Java, Malaysia, Thailand, India, China)

💡 Optimal Growing Conditions:

• Lighting: Low to medium light; moderate light encourages red coloration in new leaves

• CO₂ & Fertilization: Not required; occasional fertilization can improve overall vigor

• Water Parameters:

  • pH: 6.0–7.5

  • Temperature: 68–82°F (20–28°C)

  • Water Hardness: Soft to moderately hard

🌱 Growth & Propagation:

• CO₂ Requirement: Not required

• Nutrient Substrate: Not required

• Can Grow Emersed: Yes

• Propagation Method: Rhizome division

📦 What You’ll Receive:

Sold as loose bare-root plants, bunched plants, or potted plants:

• Bare-root Plants: Approximately 6+ leaf portion, loose rhizome

• Bunched Plants: Approximately 6+ leaf portion bundled with foam and plant weight

• Potted Plants: Approximately 6+ leaf portion, potted in rockwool and net pot

⚠️ Disclaimer:

Photos are sample representations. Actual plants may vary in size, shape, or coloration. Unless otherwise specified, we do not guarantee plants are free of pests, pesticides, or exclusively submerged-grown.

🚫 State Restrictions Notice ♻️ Be a Responsible Aquatic Plants Owner

Never release Java Fern Red—or any aquarium plant—into natural waterways. Always dispose of trimmings and unwanted portions responsibly to protect local ecosystems.