I don't have a Fernwood, but I do have a Francisii that grows spikes from the side. In fact, the parent plant had two large pups that I cut off and propagated, and they both grew spikes from their sides. It's kind of weird looking actually, but I figure -- it's healthy growth, so let it be.

I hear ya, I thought of chopping it and rooting it. The growth habit remind me of aloe.

That's just what I was going to suggest that very thing. Could even put in the same pot to give it a fuller look. .

Stush, that's so funny you would write that now. This morning I took my two little Francisii pups (each one of which had grown a spike out of the side as Jon wrote about with his Fernwood) and potted them up together. One pup I started back in Dec. 2017 and it grew roots very quickly, just sticking that dry little end of it in perlite and forgetting it. Once he grew roots, I plopped him in some soil mix (40% C/S, 60% perlite/pumice) and he grew better roots. But the second pup was stubborn and refused to root at all, so I re-potted him in late April, again in perlite, and told him to "root -- or else!" More shade, more semi-neglect. He didn't do a fabulous job, but this morning I saw that he did grow 1 very healthy root -- about 1/8" thick and 1.5" long! So they got potted up together for a "fuller look." LOVE IT when propagation works!

Agreed, Robin! Thumb, possibly even thumbs, are getting greener - I can't give away enough cuttings, so I have a lot of tiny Crosby Compact jades, some "California Red-Tip" jades, euonymus, snake plants, bougainvillea and hopefully reblooming azaleas (no new growth, got very dry when I went out of town, but 3/4 feel like they've grown roots when I wiggled them gently).

I haven't tried to propogate a fernwood yet, and I don't even know where to begin if I were to cut off one of these entire branches (for lack of a better word - is there a better term?). The outside looks almost woven and I worry it would almost unravel!

I spoke too soon on my last post regarding not getting pups from the fernwood:

And here is the development of this new branch / spike... it reminds me of the alien from Spaceballs.