Tropica Microsorum pteropus 'Narrow' Aquarium Plant on Wood | Java Fern

Hardscape and planting usually happen in separate stages — unless the plant arrives already attached. This Tropica listing pairs Microsorum pteropus 'Narrow', the slim-leaved java fern selection, with a piece of wood, giving you a planted feature that can be lowered straight into position. It belongs to our Plants on Wood range within the Java Fern / Microsorum family.

The growth habit explains why the format works so well. Tropica classes this fern as rhizomatous: it develops from a rhizome along the surface it occupies rather than rooting into substrate, so a wood mounting is a natural home for it. The species carries Tropica's Easy grading, which keeps it within reach of keepers who have never grown an attached plant before. If your tank already has wood or rock features, this piece slots into the same visual language without disturbing anything that is established.

One check before you order — run the wood's future position past your lighting, fertiliser routine and CO2 arrangement. The compatibility note on this listing says it plainly: confirm light, fertiliser and CO2 needs against the planted layout you are running.

Details for this plant-on-wood

• Species: Microsorum pteropus 'Narrow' (java fern)
• Nursery: Tropica
• Tropica grade: Easy
• Growth form: rhizomatous — lives on the mounting, not in substrate
• Format: live plant pre-grown on wood
• Pre-purchase check: light, fertiliser and CO2 suitability

Buying and placement note

Treat the wood and fern as one unit when planning: choose the spot before the parcel arrives, add it to a running aquarium, and let it settle without repeated repositioning. Pieces like this combine well with potted plants from our wider Tropica range if you want substrate-level greenery alongside the mounted fern. A quick word on timing — order plants when you can deal with the parcel on arrival day, since live plants always do better going straight from box to aquarium than waiting around. The listing's care line (Easy grade, rhizomatous growth) is the full record summary, so what you see here is what you need to plan around. Tracked UK delivery keeps transit time short, so the plant reaches your tank in good condition and can carry on growing from where the nursery left off.