Licorice Fern (Licorice Root Fern) care

Light

Bright but filtered. Licorice Fern burns within days in unfiltered south-facing summer sun, and stops growing within months in deep shade. Bright, filtered light or a few hours of gentle morning sun. As a forest understory epiphyte it scorches in hot direct sun; an east window or a spot just back from a brighter one suits it. If you only have a south window, set the plant back 1.5 m or hang a sheer curtain — both knock the intensity down into the right range.

Watering

Watering licorice fern: keep evenly moist while in active growth (fall through spring); water when the surface just begins to dry. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Never let the rhizome bake bone-dry during its growing season. Reduce sharply in summer when it goes dormant and naturally sheds fronds. Use soft, room-temperature water and ensure free drainage so the rhizome never sits in standing water.

Soil and pot

Licorice Fern grows best in loose, fast-draining epiphytic mix. Orchid bark, coco coir, perlite, and a little leaf mould or sphagnum mimic its mossy-bark habitat. The rhizome should sit at or just below the surface, never buried, so it can creep and breathe. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Licorice Fern sits happiest at around 60-80% humidity and 7-18°C (45-65°F). A moisture-loving rainforest fern that resents dry indoor air. Group with other plants, use a pebble tray or humidifier, and avoid placing it near radiators or heating vents where edges will brown. If you keep the room above 7 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed licorice fern sparingly. Feed lightly only during active growth (fall to spring) with a quarter- to half-strength balanced liquid fertiliser every 4-6 weeks. Do not feed during summer dormancy. Ferns are sensitive to salt buildup, so flush the mix occasionally. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on licorice fern in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Summer frond drop — Often mistaken for death — this species is naturally summer-dormant and sheds fronds in heat. Keep it cool and lightly moist; new fronds return in autumn.
• Crispy brown frond tips — Low humidity or dry air from heating. Raise humidity and keep the rhizome from drying out fully during the growing season.
• Rhizome rot — Burying the rhizome or leaving it in soggy, airless soil causes rot. Plant it shallow in a chunky, free-draining mix and let excess water escape.
• Scorched, bleached fronds — Too much direct sun. Move to bright, filtered light away from hot midday rays.

Propagation

Divide the creeping rhizome in autumn as growth resumes, ensuring each piece has a growing tip and a few fronds; pot shallowly in moist epiphytic mix. Spore propagation is possible but slow and rarely done at home. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Licorice Fern is pet-safe. Polypodium is a true fern with no toxic principle reported and is not flagged by the ASPCA; true ferns of this type are generally regarded as non-toxic to cats and dogs. As with any plant, nibbling can cause mild, transient stomach upset. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Licorice Fern deep-dive guides

Every aspect of licorice fern care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Licorice Fern watering schedule
• Licorice Fern light requirements
• Best soil mix for licorice fern
• Licorice Fern fertilizing guide
• When to repot licorice fern
• How to propagate licorice fern
• Licorice Fern growth rate & size
• Licorice Fern cold hardiness
• Licorice Fern temperature & humidity
• Is licorice fern toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is licorice fern toxic to cats?
• Is licorice fern toxic to dogs?

Featured in these plant shortlists

Licorice Fern qualifies for 9 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
• Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
• Best pet-safe plants for bright light — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in a bright, sunny spot — safe plants for your best-lit windowsill.
• Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
• Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Best small pet-safe plants — Compact, tabletop houseplants that are also ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe greenery for a desk or shelf.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Licorice Fern is also commonly called Licorice Fern or Licorice Root Fern.

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