FNPS Plant Database

Polystichum acrostichoides

Christmas fern

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

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:

Benefits from periodic removal of old fronds.

Availability:

Specialty Provider

Propagation:

Does not spread vegetatively; rare spread from spores.

Light:

Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

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

Coming Soon!

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

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Native Habitats:

Rocky hammocks and upper margins of swamps.

Natural Range in Florida:

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.

Citations:

Huegel, Craig, N.  2012.  Native wildflowers and other ground covers for Florida landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a710



Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A gardener's guide to Florida's native Plants.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants (http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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