Coniogramme japonica aka Bamboo Fern

Coniogramme japonica is also known as bamboo fern. It is a fern in the Pteridaceae family. This evergreen plant grows in East Asia. Its native range covers central and southern China. It also covers northern Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Kew puts it in a temperate range. The Tropical Plants Database notes that it grows in subtropical areas too. In southern China, its range reaches the tropics. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

This small fern lives for years and stays green year-round. Sources give heights of about 1.1–1.3 feet [0.35–0.4 metres]. These heights form a close range, not a wide gap. The sources give no size for its mature spread. They say little about its fronds, or fern leaves. They give few facts about its stems as well. Bamboo fern is a common name for this species. It is a true fern, not a type of bamboo.

In Japan, it grows in woods on low mountains. Records place it in that country's central and southern parts. It also grows on the ground under dense forest cover. Other records place it in damp ravines and forest sites. These sites have shade and suggest a need for moist soil. PFAF lists it for woodland gardens and their edges. It can grow where light filters through the trees. A brighter woodland edge is another site. PFAF says it can grow with no shade too.

Keep the soil moist; do not choose a dry site. PFAF lists sand, loam, and clay as suitable soils. The soil can be mildly acid or mildly alkaline. Neutral soil suits it too. PFAF gives USDA hardiness zones 8–11. Yet both plant databases stress that it has little cold tolerance. They report that it survives only a few degrees of frost. PFAF thus says outdoor growing in Britain has limits. Its green leaves give the main garden interest described here. The evidence gives no pest or disease facts for this species.

Neither plant-use database lists an edible use for this fern. PFAF gives it an edibility score of zero. Both sources note medicinal uses for inflammation, mastitis, and ulcers. The Tropical Plants Database notes local use of wild plants as medicine. These are records of past uses, not proof of safe treatment. Neither source reports known toxicity for this species. This lack of reports does not mean it is safe to eat.