Salvinia auriculata
African payal · Butterfly fern · Giant salvinia · Eared watermoss · Eared salvinia
Description
Source: leafsnapSalvinia auriculata is a species of plant in the Salviniaceae known by the common names eared watermoss, African payal (Malayalam: ആഫ്രിക്കൻ പായൽ), and butterfly fern. It is native to the Americas from Mexico south to Argentina and Chile. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant and it has become naturalized in the wild in some places.This species is hard to distinguish from other Salvinia. The plant varies in size depending on how crowded it is among other plants.This plant has long been known as an invasive species. It had infested the Zambezi River by 1949. It is also considered invasive in New-Caledonia.
Care Guide
💧 Water
☀️ Light Full shade
Eared watermoss is native to habitats such as forest understories or rocky areas that provide natural shade. It prefers Full Shade but can tolerate Partial Sun.
🌡️ Temperature 20–37.8°C
Eared watermoss comes from tropical areas, where the climate is usually warm and humid. Consequently, it is well adapted to high temperatures and moisture. It is sensitive to sudden temperature shifts and prefers a consistent temperature, so avoiding temperature fluctuations indoors is important. It generally cannot tolerate cold conditions and requires warmer temperatures to grow. If the ambient temperature falls too low, the plant may stop growing or even die.
💨 Humidity
🪴 Soil 6-7
🌱 Fertilizer
🪴 Pot & Repot
✂️ Pruning
🌿 Propagating
🐛 Diseases & pets
☠️ Toxicity
Characteristics
- Plant Type
- Fern
- Life Cycle
- Perennial
- Genus
- Salvinia
- Family
- Salviniaceae
- Hardiness Zone
- 9-11
- Mature Height
- 5 cm to 10 cm
- Mature Spread
- 10 cm to 30 cm
- Leaf Color
- Light Green, Pale Green
- Leaf Type
- Evergreen
- Planting Time
- Summer, Autumn
- Native Area
- Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, Uruguay, Paraguay, Venezuela, Brazil, Suriname, Honduras, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, Colombia, Bolivia, Guyana, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Costa Rica