Giant sword fern
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Nephrolepis biserrata
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Nephrolepidaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also a large accent groundcover in moist to wet areas. Identified by Fair Child Tropical Botanic Garden as a native that does especially well in shade in this brochure. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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Availability: |
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Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida. |
Description: |
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Large herbaceous fern. |
Height: |
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Typically 6-8 feet in height. Spreading from horizontal stems (stolons) and forming large masses. |
Growth Rate: |
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Moderate. |
Range: |
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Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland north to Martin, Highlands and Lee counties; Louisiana; West Indies, Mexico, Central America, South America and Old World. |
Habitats: |
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Moist hammocks and swamps. |
Soils: |
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Moist to seasonally wet, well-drained to poorly-drained sandy, limestone, or organic soils, with humusy top layer. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
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Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
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Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water. |
Salt Wind Tolerance: |
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Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought. |
Light Requirements: |
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Light shade. |
Flower Color: |
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N/A. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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There are no flowers; the plants reproduce by spores. |
Flowering Season: |
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All year. |
Fruit: |
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Inconspicuous spores. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from divisions or spores. |
Comments: |
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It is listed as threatened by the state of Florida. |
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George D. Gann In habitat, Miami-Dade County
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George D. Gann In habitat, Miami-Dade County, Florida
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