Peacock Fern
🌿 Peacock Fern Care Guide
• Terrarium Plant • Humidity-Loving • Low to Moderate Light • Tropical & Woodland Enclosures
Quick Facts
Common Name: Peacock Fern, Rainbow Moss
Scientific Name: Selaginella uncinata
Plant Type: Creeping vascular plant / spike-moss
Origin: Southern China and parts of Southeast Asia
Growth Habit: Low-growing, creeping, spreading
Light: Low to moderate, indirect light
Humidity: High humidity preferred
Temperature: Approximately 65–80°F
Watering: Keep substrate consistently moist; avoid prolonged drying
Terrarium Use: Excellent for humid tropical and woodland-style setups
Placement: Foreground, background, cork, rocks, or trailing
Difficulty: Easy–Moderate
Reptile & Amphibian Use: Generally suitable when properly sourced and prepared
🌱 About Peacock Fern
Peacock Fern (Selaginella uncinata) is a beautiful, low-growing plant known for its striking blue-green to iridescent foliage.
Despite its common name, Peacock Fern is not a true fern. It belongs to the genus Selaginella, commonly known as spike-mosses.
Its creeping growth habit makes it especially useful in terrariums and vivariums, where it can spread across the substrate and create a lush, natural forest-floor appearance.
Peacock Fern thrives in warm, humid environments and is an excellent choice for many tropical and woodland-style bioactive enclosures.
🦎 What Animals Can Benefit From Peacock Fern?
Peacock Fern is best suited for animals that naturally appreciate humid environments, live plants, and natural ground cover.
🐸 Tropical & Arboreal Frogs
Excellent for:
• Dart frogs
• Tree frogs
• Other small tropical frogs
🦎 Tropical & Humidity-Loving Reptiles
Excellent for:
• Crested geckos
• Gargoyle geckos
• Day geckos
• Anoles
• Other small tropical geckos
🕷️ Invertebrate Enclosures
Can work well with:
• Jumping spiders
• Small terrestrial spiders
• Isopods
• Springtails
• Other moisture-loving terrarium invertebrates
🐍 Can Peacock Fern Be Used With Snakes?
Yes, Peacock Fern can be used in some humid snake habitats.
However, it is better suited to smaller, humid species and planted display enclosures than to large or highly active snakes.
Larger snakes may crush, disturb, or uproot the delicate creeping growth.
Always make sure the enclosure meets the snake's specific temperature, humidity, ventilation, and habitat requirements.
💧 Humidity & Moisture
High humidity and consistent moisture are important for Peacock Fern.
Recommended Humidity: Approximately 60–90%
The substrate should remain evenly moist but should not remain constantly saturated or waterlogged.
Peacock Fern can tolerate brief periods of slightly reduced moisture, but repeated drying can cause:
• Browning
• Curling leaves
• Loss of color
• Dieback
• Poor growth
💡 Bioactive Tip
A properly established drainage layer combined with a moisture-retaining substrate can make maintaining Peacock Fern much easier.
Think moist forest floor—not swamp.
💡 Lighting Requirements
Peacock Fern prefers bright to moderate indirect lighting.
Best Placement:
• Under or near reptile-safe LED plant lighting
• Partially shaded areas
• Beneath taller plants
• Along the sides or back of the enclosure
Avoid placing Peacock Fern directly beneath extremely intense lighting where the foliage can become overheated or dry out.
A quality full-spectrum plant LED is an excellent choice for planted terrariums.
🌡️ Temperature
Peacock Fern generally does well within the temperatures commonly maintained for tropical terrarium animals.
Recommended Range: 65–80°F
Avoid prolonged exposure to temperatures below approximately 55–60°F.
Very high temperatures combined with dry conditions can also cause stress and foliage loss.
Important: The temperature requirements of the animal always take priority over the plant's preferences.
🌿 Substrate
Peacock Fern prefers a substrate that holds moisture while still providing adequate drainage.
Good Options:
• Bioactive tropical substrate
• ABG-style substrate
• Coco fiber-based mixes
• Soil-based terrarium mixes
• Substrate containing sphagnum moss, leaf litter, and organic material
Avoid compacted substrate that prevents drainage or creates stagnant, constantly saturated conditions around the roots.
A healthy terrarium should provide moisture without remaining waterlogged.
🌱 Planting Peacock Fern
Peacock Fern can be planted directly into the substrate or allowed to spread as a creeping groundcover.
For Best Results:
- Prepare a moist, well-draining substrate.
- Gently separate the plant if necessary.
- Place the roots or lower stems against the substrate.
- Lightly anchor the plant.
- Keep the area consistently moist.
- Provide gentle, indirect lighting.
- Allow the plant time to establish before introducing heavy animal activity.
Once established, Peacock Fern can spread and create a beautiful living carpet across the terrarium floor.
🍃 Growth & Maintenance
Peacock Fern is a creeping, spreading plant and can grow quickly when conditions are favorable.
Regular trimming can help prevent it from overtaking smaller plants.
Trim When:
• It begins covering other plants
• It grows outside the desired area
• Stems become excessively long
• You want to encourage a fuller appearance
Healthy cuttings can often be replanted into moist substrate to encourage additional growth.
🪴 Peacock Fern in Bioactive Enclosures
Peacock Fern can be an excellent addition to a properly established bioactive enclosure.
🌿 Natural Ground Cover
Creates a lush, natural forest-floor appearance.
🐸 Security
Dense plant growth gives small animals additional areas to hide and explore.
🦎 Environmental Enrichment
Plants provide additional textures, pathways, cover, and exploration opportunities.
🪱 Microfauna Habitat
Dense growth provides additional habitat for beneficial springtails and isopods.
💧 Humidity Microclimates
Plant-covered areas can help create more humid microclimates close to the substrate.
Remember: Plants are part of the habitat. They do not replace proper ventilation, hides, temperature control, humidity management, or species-specific husbandry.
⚠️ Important Considerations
🚫 Do Not Keep It Constantly Waterlogged
Peacock Fern enjoys moisture but should not sit in stagnant water.
☀️ Avoid Harsh Direct Lighting
Excessive light and heat can quickly dry the delicate foliage.
🧪 Avoid Chemicals
Never introduce pesticides, systemic insecticides, fertilizers, or other plant chemicals into an occupied reptile or amphibian enclosure.
Plants purchased for terrariums should be properly prepared before being introduced to animals.
🐌 Quarantine New Plants
New plants can potentially carry:
• Pests
• Eggs
• Mites
• Fungus
• Pesticide residues
Whenever possible, quarantine and thoroughly inspect new plants before adding them to an established bioactive enclosure.
🦎 Best Enclosure Types
Tropical Bioactive Terrarium: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent
Frog Vivarium: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent
Crested Gecko Enclosure: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent
Gargoyle Gecko Enclosure: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent
Day Gecko Enclosure: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent
Anole Enclosure: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent
Jumping Spider Enclosure: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good
Humid Snake Enclosure: ⭐⭐⭐ Good
Arid Enclosure: ⭐ Poor Choice
Desert Bioactive: ⭐ Poor Choice
🌿 Indigo Reptile Co. Plant Tip
Peacock Fern is a fantastic choice when you're looking to create a lush, humid, naturalistic terrarium.
Its blue-green, iridescent foliage and creeping growth make it especially beautiful when planted around cork bark, rocks, leaf litter, and other tropical plants.
For the best results, think moist forest floor—not swamp.
Give it humidity, consistent moisture, gentle lighting, and good drainage, and it can become a gorgeous living carpet throughout your enclosure.
🌱 Great Plants to Pair With Peacock Fern:
• Pothos
• Fittonia
• Miniature ferns
• Mosses
• Peperomia
• Creeping plants
• Bromeliads
• Leaf litter
• Cork bark
A healthy planted enclosure isn't just beautiful—it creates an environment your animal can explore, interact with, and benefit from every day.
⚠️ INDIGO REPTILE CO. DISCLAIMER
Plant requirements can vary depending on growing conditions, enclosure design, and individual plants.
Always research the specific husbandry requirements of the animal living in the enclosure. Animal care requirements should always take priority over plant preferences.
Indigo Reptile Co.
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