Peacock fern (peacock spikemoss) care

Light

Most houseplants sulk in a dim corner. Peacock fern is one of the handful that doesn't. Give it deep to partial shade — under two hours of direct sun, or bright indirect light filtered through a sheer curtain. Direct sun scorches the delicate fronds and bleaches the signature blue iridescence; the shadier the spot, the more intense the blue shimmer. An east or north window, or a metre back from a brighter one, suits it well. The tell that you've pushed even a low-light plant too far is soil that stays wet for a week — the plant has stopped transpiring, which means it's stopped using water, which is one short step from rot.

Watering

Water peacock fern keep the substrate evenly moist at all times — never let it dry out. The actual day count varies with pot size, light, and season — the finger test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) is more reliable than a fixed calendar. Empty any drainage saucer afterwards so the pot isn't sitting in water. This spikemoss has shallow roots and no drought tolerance: even one full dry-out browns the fronds, often permanently. Water with filtered or rainwater so chlorine and tap-water minerals do not crisp the tips. It performs far better in a terrarium or covered pot where the substrate stays reliably damp.

Soil and pot

Peacock fern grows best in moisture-retentive, mineral-rich, well-drained mix. Use a humus-rich, mainly mineral medium that holds moisture but still drains — for example peat-free compost or coir blended with perlite and a little fine bark. It tolerates acid, neutral or alkaline pH but will not survive soils that dry hard. A shallow pot or terrarium substrate suits its creeping, surface-rooting habit. 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

Peacock fern sits happiest at around 60-80% humidity and 15-24°C (60-75°F). High humidity is non-negotiable — this is the single biggest reason it fails in open rooms. Below roughly 50% the frond tips go brown and crispy. A closed or semi-closed terrarium, a humidifier, or a sealed glass cloche keeps levels stable; a pebble tray and grouping help but are rarely enough on their own indoors. If you keep the room above 15 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 peacock fern sparingly. Light feeder: a balanced liquid houseplant fertiliser diluted to quarter- or half-strength, applied monthly during spring and summer growth. Skip feeding in autumn and winter, and avoid full-strength doses — excess fertiliser scorches the fine foliage. 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 peacock fern in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Brown, crispy frond tips and edges — Low humidity or chlorine/minerals in tap water — raise humidity and switch to filtered or rainwater.
• Browning, shrivelled fronds throughout — The substrate dried out; this plant has no drought tolerance and may not recover from a full dry-out.
• Faded, washed-out colour with no blue shimmer — Too much light or direct sun bleaching the foliage — move it to deeper shade.
• Leggy, sparse, thinning growth — Light too dim even for a shade plant, or humidity too low to support dense growth.
• Chewed or ragged foliage outdoors — Slugs and snails are the main pests when it is grown as ground cover outside.
• Scorched or burnt-looking new growth after feeding — Over-fertilising — dilute feed heavily and only apply in the growing season.

Propagation

Easiest by division — lift and separate a clump, keeping a section of creeping stem and roots with each piece. Stem-tip cuttings also root readily: lay or pin moist stem tips onto damp substrate and they root from the nodes. Keep all divisions humid and consistently moist while they establish. 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

Peacock fern is pet-safe. Selaginella uncinata is not individually listed by the ASPCA, but its genus is clean: the ASPCA lists the closely related Selaginella kraussiana (Krauss' spikemoss / club moss) as non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses, and no Selaginella species appears on its toxic list. It is therefore treated as pet-safe — but verify with your vet before relying on this, especially if a pet is a persistent chewer. 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.

Peacock fern deep-dive guides

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

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

Related guides

Peacock fern is also known as peacock spikemoss, blue spikemoss, rainbow moss, and spring blue spikemoss.

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