| Golden polypody
|
| Phlebodium aureum
|
| Polypodiaceae
|
Landscape Uses:
|
|
Accent epiphyte. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
|
|
| Availability: |
|
Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries. |
| Description: |
| |
Epiphytic fern with erect or arching leaves spreading from a creeping stem (rhizome) that is densely covered with golden-colored hair-like scales. |
| Height: |
| |
Fronds 2-3 feet in length. Plants spread and form small patches. |
| Growth Rate: |
| |
Moderate. |
| Range: |
| |
Southern Georgia and Alabama south to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. Rare in the Monroe County Keys and very rare or absent in the middle Keys. |
| Habitats: |
| |
Moist forests and swamps. |
| Soils: |
| |
Epiphytic; or terrestrial in moist, well-drained humusy leaf litter, acid to neutral pH. |
| Nutritional Requirements: |
| |
Moderate; can grow on nutrient poor substrate, but needs some nutrient inputs to thrive. |
| Salt Water Tolerance: |
| |
Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. |
| Salt Wind Tolerance: |
| |
Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation. |
| Drought Tolerance: |
| |
Moderate; requires moist substrate and high humidity to thrive. |
| Light Requirements: |
| |
Light shade to moderate shade or full sun. |
| Flower Color: |
| |
N/A. |
| Flower Characteristics: |
| |
There are no flowers; the plants reproduce by spores. |
| Flowering Season: |
| |
All year. |
| Fruit: |
| |
Inconspicuous spores. |
| Wildlife and Ecology: |
| |
|
| Horticultural Notes: |
| |
Can be grown from spores. |
| Comments: |
| |
|
|
|
|
|