# Narrow Leaf Java Fern - How big?



## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Curious what's the longest (size-wise) anyone has ever grown a piece of Narrow Leaf Java Fern. I currently have some leaves that are 13" (33cm) long.


----------



## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

Thats a pretty good size for that fern!
Ive had them about 7-8".
There are a few different variants of this plant, could be you have narrow leaf-long leaf LOL.
Post a photo of that beast.


----------



## Shad0w (Nov 13, 2006)

Mine also around 30cm


----------



## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

OK, most sites have this plant growing up to 20cm, so I gues that's out of date. Bigstick is there a real difference between Narrow and Needle? You could see in this pic the leaves find resistance from the front glass and just keep going. Upper left you could see the size of regular java.


----------



## edwardn (Nov 8, 2008)

It appears that the length of Needle leaf Java depend on the light intensity in addition to nutrition, CO2 , etc.

I have an extensive growth of this fern on the back wall of my 180 gal. and it grows totally different as compared to some growth closer to light source, where leaves are short and less green, with yellowish apperance and with rather serrates edges.
I also have some 'Narrow leaf' Java, and on the back wall as well. The leaves are like something between a 'regular'
Java and the 'Needle leaf' one.


----------



## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

One thing I'll say about Java Fern is that under the right conditions it's not a slow grower. I know it's labeled that way because it's grown in tanks with marginal parameters, but given the right parmaters it really grows. I actually think it grows just as fast as many stems.


----------

