Velociraptor ribbon fern is part of Monrovia's Jurassic collection, a line of distinctive garden ferns collected by plant hunter Daniel Hinkley on his journeys through Asia. Velociraptor boasts bright color and interesting texture, plus better hardiness than most ribbon ferns.
Common name: Jurassic Velociraptor Ribbon Fern
Botanical name: Pteris cretica
Exposure: Dappled light, part shade or full shade
Foliage: Velociraptor ribbon fern has long, narrow leaves that might bring to mind the talons of a meat-eating dinosaur. They stand upright, providing some vertical energy among the typical mounded foliage of shade-garden plants. Their color is a bright lime green and they have a crimped texture.
Habit: Evergreen fern growing to 18 inches tall and wide. It has upright foliage that creates a vase shape.
Origin: This strain of Pteris cretica was found by plant explorer Daniel Hinkley in higher elevations of China's Hubei Province. It is propagated by Monrovia, which introduced it to market in 2022 as part of the company's Jurassic Ferns collection.
How to grow it: Site Velociraptor ribbon fern where it will receive dappled sunlight all day, or morning sun and afternoon shade. It will also grow in full shade, but a more compact habit is achieved with some sunlight. It needs regularly moist soil. It takes well to growing in a container, and it can be wintered as a houseplant for bright light indoors where it is not cold hardy. It is hardy in USDA Zones 7 through 9.
Image courtesy of Monrovia
