Lecanopteris luzonensis

Lecanopteris luzonensis, as its name suggests, is native to the Philippine island of Luzon. The rhizome of this species is “naked” (free of scales and without a waxy coating). The fresh rhizome is green and later turns black. The black parts are not dead!

As with all “ant ferns” of the genus Lecanopteris, except for L. mirabilis, the rhizome is thickened and hollow inside. The cavity serves as a nest for ants. The entrances to the rhizome are located at the ends of its lateral branches. The rhizome branches and creeps upward along a tree (or other surface), pressed tightly against the substrate.

The fronds have a simple structure and grow to about 40 to 50 cm in length. When they are mature and form sporangia, these are borne in conspicuous pouches at the edge of the fronds, which then bend inward and resemble small teacups.

One of the few ant plants that can also be kept as a houseplant once it has acclimated.

Lecanopteris are so-called “ant plants” from the polypody family (Polypodiaceae). They are widely distributed from Southeast Asia to Australia and from Papua to New Caledonia, and usually grow epiphytically on trees. They belong to the myrmecodome ant plants, meaning they provide a nest for ants. Their thickened rhizome is criss-crossed by numerous tunnels and chambers inhabited by specialized ants, mostly of the genus Philidris. The ants do not construct the chambers or the entrances themselves. These are formed solely by the plant, regardless of whether ants are present or not.

The plant has a mutualistic relationship (beneficial to both parties) with the ants living inside it. The ants protect the plant and their nest, and fertilize it with food scraps, feces, and other “waste.”

Over many years, colonies of ants and ant plants spread across a tree, and other ant-associated epiphytes—such as Hoya, Dischidia, and orchids—join them. A so-called “ant garden” emerges.

Not every ant plant is actually inhabited by ants in the wild. In fact, there are numerous species in which ants have never been found! This also means that no ant plant absolutely needs a colony of ants to survive or grow well. All of our cultivated ant plants are, of course, ant-free! The rhizome develops exactly as it does in nature, even without ants.

You’ll receive a vigorous young plant in a 5 cm pot. It should be repotted or mounted and initially cared for in a plant cabinet or terrarium.