The polypody prefers a humus-rich, but nutrient-poor soil. As a houseplant, the fern is particularly good in the bathroom.
Whether as a plant in the forest garden or as an air-purifying houseplant - the common polypodium (Polypodium vulgare) can do many things. The plant is one of the most robust ferns and even has healing properties. Ferns have been around for more than 400 million years. This makes them one of the oldest plants in the world. Even more, they in turn contributed decisively to the formation of today's earth climate. They were the ones who absorbed the carbon from the atmosphere, which was still quite hostile to life at the time, and converted it into oxygen. Basically, we owe our livelihood to the ferns.
In the first primeval forests, ferns later formed huge populations the size of tall trees together with clubmoss plants and horsetails. Today, most ferns have shrunk to waist height. Also known as Angelsweet, the common spotted fern only grows to a height of up to 50 cm. This makes it ideal for low plantings in the garden and in the house. In fact, you can keep the namesake of the polythene plants as an outdoor and indoor plant alike. And even as a medicinal plant in the herb garden, Polypodium vulgare is worth considering.
Tippelfarn - all-round talent among medicinal herbs
The polypody is a real all-rounder as a useful plant. In addition to its important function as an air purifier, it is also said to have numerous healing effects. Its roots have been used in folk medicine for numerous he alth ailments including
- Respiratory Diseases
- Skin diseases
- Indigestion
- Pain Symptoms
| Effect | Application areas |
|---|---|
| • cough reliever • expectorant | The Greek doctor Dioscorides already described the expectorant effect of the polypody on congestion in the throat. Thanks to its soothing mucilage, Polypodium vulgare is particularly effective against coughs, hoarseness and respiratory diseases.
Even stubborn bronchitis, chest or pleurisy infections are said to respond well to polypody. |
| • liver tonic • digestive | The cholagogue properties of the polypody are also documented by Dioscurides. The Italian doctor Aldebrandin de Sienne confirmed the digestive effect in the 13th century. According to his notes, a chicken soup with anise and angel sweet is an excellent remedy for constipation.
In combination with mallow or marshmallow, Polypodium vulgare is said to help with diseases of the spleen. As a tea, traditional folk medicine used polyphylla to treat loss of appetite and liver diseases such as jaundice and hepatitis. The bitter substances in the plant are also harmful to intestinal worms. Polypody is therefore used, similar to the male fern, to combat intestinal parasites. |
| • analgesic • wound healing | The soothing root extract of the polypody is also said to be extremely beneficial for skin irritations. An application for hives, swelling and abrasions is conceivable. Polypodium vulgare was also used as a root powder for rheumatism.
A decoction of polypody and yarrow was used to treat colic. The fern is said to have a similar effect on headaches, here in combination with sea onion vinegar. |
Common polypody - valuable cultivated plant
Polypodium vulgare originally comes from the rain and deciduous forests of Europe, Africa and Asia. In Europe it prefers semi-shady locations of oak and birch forests. It is therefore wonderful for planting under larger trees and for shady locations in natural gardens, forest gardens and wild gardens. In addition, it is often used as a planting near the bank on the edge of the wood. Bushes, dry stone walls and graves populate the polypody is very fond of.
| Polypodium vulgare | |
|---|---|
| Growth: | carpet-like, flat, forms stolons |
| Growth: | 20 - 40 cm |
| Growth: | 30 - 40 cm |
| Planting distance: | 30 - 40 cm |
| Location: | Penumbral shade to full shade |
| Floor: | permeable, humic, low in lime and nutrients |
The fern is also a good tip for greening areas in sunny locations. Here the living fossil creates a primeval atmosphere. If you want to create a real jungle charm here, you can plant the polypody along with other primeval plants. Wild plants such as
are interesting in this regard- Clubmoss
- Brown-stemmed Spleenwort
- Ginkgo
- Moss
- or Horsetail.
With the spleenwort, the polypody very often forms large communities in birch-oak forests in the wild. It is therefore considered a natural planting partner.
With polypody against climate change
Fern plants such as the polypody are considered to be the most important CO²-active plants. They are therefore increasingly recommended today for planting concepts for efficient climate greening. Many company locations, but also private areas and public places, therefore rely on ferns to reduce CO² values. Orphaned rubble areas and shady ruined buildings quickly become a climate green space with Polypodium vulgare.
Potted polypody
As a pot culture, the polypody can be planted on the veranda or balcony. Potted ferns are much more common as houseplants. The jungle plant thrives particularly well in shady rooms or rooms with high humidity, such as the bathroom. In offices, bedrooms or in the living room, Polypodium vulgare also actively contributes to improving the room climate.
Since Polypodium vulgare is very site-loyal, repotting is rarely necessary in pot cultures. Only when the roots of the plant visibly grow beyond the edge of the pot do you have to choose a slightly larger planter. It is best to carry out the repotting work in spring, between March and April. The potting soil should ideally be chosen according to the outdoor criteria.
Potted fern - location and planting
Ferns survived the most extreme climatic periods in the history of the earth, from the above-average warm Devonian period to the Ice Age. Accordingly, they are extremely robust and resistant. Polypody fern is hardy to -37 °C in this respect. It can therefore be left in the garden all year round without any problemsno special winter protection.
In addition to a shady to half-shady location, the polypody also likes a fresh, moist to moderately dry substrate. This should ideally be low in nutrients and lime-free, but slightly humic. Gravelly-loamy soils with a slightly acidic to acidic soil pH value between 4.5 and 5.5 points are ideal.
Planting Polypody Fern - Instructions
1. Step:
Thanks to its good resistance to frost and late frosts, Polypodium vulgare can be planted out in early spring. Alternatively, planting in autumn is also possible, since the ferns are relatively unaffected by the first cold snaps.
2. Step:
Mix some leaf compost with gravel, peat and sharp sand for the best soil. Before that, the substrate should be thoroughly loosened and, if necessary, provided with drainage.
3. Step:
Polypody fern forms bushy clumps with its overhanging fronds, which can grow to a width of up to 30 cm. The planting distance should be chosen accordingly. Therefore, please do not plant more than 8 plants per square meter to allow for the space required by the ferns.
Watering and fertilizing the polypody
In the field, polypody can sometimes tolerate brief periods of drought very well. However, you should keep an eye on constant, albeit moderate, soil moisture overall. In the pot, on the other hand, the fern dries out easily. Regular waterings with lime-free water (e.g. rain or mineral water) are important here. If the plant is permanently too dry, the leaf tips of the fern usually turn brown and unsightly.
Despite the low nutrient requirement, annual fertilization in early spring does not harm Polypodium vulgare. It is best to work a handful of compost or horn shavings into the substrate here. Alternatively, nettle manure covers the nitrogen requirements of the plants. From spring to autumn, potted cultures receive a complete fertilizer containing nitrogen every two weeks. Liquid fertilizer is the easiest to dispense here and can be easily mixed into the irrigation water.
Propagating Polypody
Common Polypody doesn't need pruning. On the contrary, cuts on the plant often ensure that it no longer grows naturally and elegantly. Instead, Polypodium vulgare should be divided regularly to rejuvenate the plant. Older plants in particular will sprout more vigorously afterwards. Root division is also the easiest way of propagating ferns. digTo do this, simply cut out the plant and divide the rootstock into two equal parts.
Diseases and pests on polypody
Polypodium vulgare is basically quite disease resistant. Wilted leaf edges rarely indicate a disease infestation, but rather a lack of watering. Slugs and snails also disdain the parts of the plant containing bitter substances. However, a wrong location can promote aphid infestation.
Scale insects occur on the common polypody, especially in pot cultures that are too dry indoors. For this reason, the fern is also mainly found in bathrooms where the water vapor from regular showers keeps the room air moist. Greenhouses also simulate the tropical humidity of natural jungle locations very well and thus keep aphids away.
In dry rooms, spraying the plant regularly with water is a good way to prevent scale insects. If the infestation has already occurred, you can give the plant a vigorous shower for several days. Then spray regularly with garlic or nettle broth until the pests clear the field. If necessary, you can also use natural predators such as ladybugs or parasitic wasps. However, this treatment measure is more suitable for outdoor crops.