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Polystichum acrostichoides
Polystichum acrostichoides (Michx.) Schott
Christmas Fern
Dryopteridaceae (Wood Fern Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: POAC4
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Chistmas fern got its name because it stays green right through the holiday season. It is a robust, leathery fern which has glossy, green fronds year-round. The fronds grow in clusters from a crownless rootstock and range from 1-2 ft. in length. Fertile fronds are taller. The once-divided fronds with pointed pinnae result in a medium to coarse texture. The silvery fiddleheads emerge in early spring.
Christmas fern is very easy to establish and grow where conditions are right. It requires cool, moist, well-drained soil in shade. In the right spot, it can be a good, evergreen border or accent plant. Though often used as a groundcover, it is a clumping fern, not forming a continuous, undifferentiated carpet the way some ferns do.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Fern
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Size Notes: Normally 1.5 to 2 feet, occasionally 3 feet tall.
Leaf: Dark green
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Not ApplicableBloom Notes: Not a flowering plant. Reproduces by spores.
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WVCanada: NB , NS , ON , PE , QC
Native Distribution: N.S. to extreme s.e. MN, s. to c. FL, e. TX, and Mexico. Zones 5 to 10
Native Habitat: Rich, rocky woods; stream banks; swamps; thickets
Growing Conditions
Water Use: MediumLight Requirement: Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil pH: Acidic (pH<6.8)
Soil Description: Moist, acid, humus-rich soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Acid-based. Best in rocky or sandy soils.
Conditions Comments: Does not tolerate clay soils or standing water. It must have good drainage. Gets stressed in too much sun, becoming pale and stunted. It must be kept moist, cool, and shaded.
Benefit
Use Ornamental: Borders, accents, and groundcoversUse Wildlife: Attracts Ruffed Grouse
Interesting Foliage: yes
Propagation
Propagation Material: Root DivisionDescription: Multiplied by division or spores.
Seed Collection: Not all fronds are fertile. Fertile fronds are narrower at the tip (which withers and dies following release of the spores in mid-summer).
Commercially Avail: yes
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National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FACU | FACU | FACU | UPL | FACU |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, The - Valhalla, NY
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Delaware Nature Society - Hockessin, DE
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE
Bibliography
Bibref 928 - 100 easy-to-grow native plants for Canadian gardens (2005) Johnson, L.; A. LeyerleBibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. Wasowski
Bibref 354 - Native & Naturalized Woody Plants of Austin & the Hill Country (1981) Lynch, D.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Additional resources
USDA: Find Polystichum acrostichoides in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Polystichum acrostichoides in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Polystichum acrostichoides
Metadata
Record Modified: 2013-09-09Research By: TWC Staff