• Photo by: Wasp32, from Wikipedia Commons. Cropped.

Polystichum acrostichoides

Christmas fern

Nomenclature

Common Name:

Christmas fern

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Polystichum acrostichoides

Family:

Dryopteridaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

fern

Size:

to 2.5 ft tall by 1-2 ft wide 

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

NA

Fruit Color:

NA

Phenology:

Semi-evergreen

Noted For:

Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Treasure if you have it. Good for rock gardens and shade gardens as an understory plant.

Considerations:

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Availability:

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Propagation:

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Light:

Text

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Lime Rock

Soil pH:

Circum-neutral to calcareous.

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A

Ecology

Wildlife:

Native Habitats:

Rocky hammocks and upper margins of swamps.

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

The range of this species includes much of eastern North America up into southern Canada.  Its occurrence in Florida is sparse with appropriate substrate likely being the primary determining factor.