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Wasowski, Sally and Andy

Pellaea andromedifolia

Pellaea andromedifolia (Kaulf.) Fée

Coffee Cliffbrake, Coffee Fern, Coffeeberry Fern

Pteridaceae (Maidenhair Fern Family)

Synonym(s): Pellaea andromedifolia var. pubescens, Pellaea andromedifolia var. rubens

USDA Symbol: PEAN2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Mature clumps bear fronds to 24 in. The stipes are tough and wiry and the fronds much divided into small, rounded segments which curl under along the edges. Fronds are pale to bluish green but age to purplish or coffee brown.

From the Image Gallery

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb , Fern
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Size Notes: Fronds up to about 2 feet long.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Not Applicable
Bloom Notes: Not a flowering plant. Reproduces by spores. Sporulates late spring�summer.

Distribution

USA: CA , OR
Native Distribution: Cismontane CA
Native Habitat: Dry, stony places below 4000 ft.

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Dry, rocky soils.
Conditions Comments: Difficult to establish and needs summer water the first year. After that they increase in size and vigor and are drought tolerant.

Propagation

Description: Increase by spores.
Commercially Avail: yes

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA

Bibliography

Bibref 995 - Native Landscaping from El Paso to L.A. (2000) Wasowski, S. and A. Wasowski

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Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Pellaea andromedifolia in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Pellaea andromedifolia in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Pellaea andromedifolia

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-21
Research By: TWC Staff

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