Blechnum gibbum 'Silver Lady' Plants GrowTropicals
Silver lady fern

Blechnum gibbum 'Silver Lady'

£10.99
Pot size
12cm £10.99

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Complete the set up
Fern Premium Potting Mix
The perfect soil Fern Premium Potting Mix · 2.5L · £4.99
Description

Blechnum gibbum 'Silver Lady' is a dwarf tree fern, and easily one of the most elegant ferns you can grow indoors. Its glossy, bright green fronds arch out in a perfectly symmetrical shuttlecock rosette, like a fountain frozen in mid splash, and with age the whole crown slowly rises on a slender, dark, fibrous trunk, giving you a genuine miniature tree fern at windowsill scale. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, and next to finer leathery ferns it reads as architectural rather than fluffy.

Origins

This fern comes from New Caledonia and Vanuatu in the south west Pacific, and has also made itself at home in Fiji, growing as an understorey plant in warm, humid forest. It belongs to the hard fern family, Blechnaceae, and its name has had an eventful history: botanists have shuffled it through Lomaria and, most recently, Oceaniopteris, but Kew and the RHS both settle on Blechnum gibbum, with 'Silver Lady' the compact selection sold for the home. It is the tender, trunk forming cousin of the hardy Blechnum spicant and Blechnum tabulare we offer for the garden, and a natural partner for the indoor Blechnum brasiliense 'Volcano'.

Care

Give it bright, filtered light with no direct sun, which scorches the fronds; near a north or east facing window is ideal. Keep the compost evenly moist at all times, as it has little tolerance for drying out, but let excess water drain rather than leaving the pot standing wet. It is a humidity lover, so a bathroom, a grouped display or a spot above a pebble tray suits it well, and browning frond tips are usually a plea for damper air. Keep it at 10C or above, away from cold draughts and hot radiators, and resist the urge to tidy too hard: leave older fronds in place until they are fully spent, as the plant draws goodness back from them as it builds its trunk.

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All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

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How to care for Silver lady fern

Keep me in bright, gentle light away from harsh sun and never let me dry out completely.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
Get to know me

About Silver lady fern

Blechnum gibbum 'Silver Lady' is a houseplant that takes a little effort. It needs bright indirect light, watering often enough to keep the compost evenly moist, a little extra humidity and a minimum temperature of 10°C.

Good for

Living Room Kitchen Bathroom

Care level

EasyChallenge

A little effort

Light

ShadeFull sun

Bright, indirect light

Bright, filtered or indirect light with no direct sun, which scorches the fronds. Near a north or east facing window is ideal. Read moreShow less

Bright, filtered or indirect light with no direct sun, which scorches the fronds. Near a north or east facing window is ideal.

Watering

Evenly moistDries out fully

Keep evenly moist

Keep the compost evenly moist at all times and never let it dry right out. Water when the surface just begins to dry, then let the excess drain away freely. Read moreShow less

Keep the compost evenly moist at all times and never let it dry right out. Water when the surface just begins to dry, then let the excess drain away freely.

Humidity

Average homeHigh humidity

Prefers a little extra humidity

A humidity lover. A bathroom, a grouped display or a pebble tray suits it; browning frond tips usually mean the air is too dry. Read moreShow less

A humidity lover. A bathroom, a grouped display or a pebble tray suits it; browning frond tips usually mean the air is too dry.

Temperature

Keep above 10°C · Happy at normal room temperature

Keep it at 10C or above, ideally 12 to 24C, away from cold draughts and hot dry air from radiators. Read moreShow less

Keep it at 10C or above, ideally 12 to 24C, away from cold draughts and hot dry air from radiators.

Feeding

Feed monthly with a balanced fertiliser from spring to autumn, and let it rest over winter.

Growth habit

Rosette →

Plant type

Fern →

Also known as

Blechnum gibbum 'Silver Lady'

Genus

Blechnum
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it called Blechnum gibbum or Oceaniopteris gibba?

Both names refer to the same fern. It was moved to Oceaniopteris gibba in 2016 when the genus Blechnum was split, and some suppliers still sell it under that name, but Kew's Plants of the World Online now treats Oceaniopteris gibba as a synonym and accepts Blechnum gibbum, which is also the name the RHS uses. 'Silver Lady' is the compact selection grown as a houseplant.

Will it really form a trunk?

Yes, in time. Young plants are a neat rosette of arching fronds, and as the fern matures the crown slowly rises on a slender, dark, fibrous trunk, which is why it is called the dwarf or miniature tree fern. Indoors it stays a manageable size, with fronds to around 90cm and a modest trunk after several years.

Is the Silver Lady fern safe for cats and dogs?

It is not known to be toxic. True ferns of this kind are generally regarded as safe around pets, and it does not appear on the ASPCA toxic plant lists, though eating a quantity of any plant can cause mild stomach upset. The fronds are more at risk from playful paws than the other way round.

Why are the frond tips turning brown?

Dry air or dry compost are the usual causes. This fern comes from humid Pacific forest and dislikes both drought at the roots and parched air around the fronds. Keep the compost evenly moist, raise humidity with a pebble tray or by grouping plants, and keep it away from radiators and heat vents.

How much light does it need?

Bright, filtered light with no direct sun. A position near a north or east facing window, or a little back from a brighter one, keeps the fronds a fresh glossy green. Direct midday sun scorches them, while very deep shade slows growth to a crawl.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

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From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

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Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

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