Broad halbard fern
Tectaria heracleifolia
Tectariaceae


Landscape Uses:

Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Identified by Fair Child Tropical Botanic Garden as a native that does especially well in shade in this brochure.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description:
Herbaceous fern growing directly on limestone rock. Fronds 6- 24 inches in length or more.
Height:
Fronds pendent. Spreads and forms small colonies.
Growth Rate:
Slow.
Range:
Miami-Dade County north to Martin County; disjunct in Hernando and Citrus counties; Texas; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. Very rare north of the Miami River. In Broward County known only from Fern Forest Nature Center.
Habitats:
Rockland hammocks.
Soils:
Constantly moist limestone rock.
Nutritional Requirements:
Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
Salt Water Tolerance:
Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance:
Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements:
Light shade to moderate shade.
Flower Color:
N/A.
Flower Characteristics:
There are no flowers; the plants reproduce by spores.
Flowering Season:
Spring-summer.
Fruit:
Inconspicuous spores.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Horticultural Notes:
Can be grown with difficulty from spores.
Comments:
It is listed as threatened by the state of Florida.


Shirley Denton
Shirley Denton
Mike Rosenthal
Keith A. Bradley