| Broad halbard fern
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| Tectaria heracleifolia
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| Tectariaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Identified by Fairchild 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 enthusiasts. |
| Description: |
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Herbaceous fern growing directly on limestone rock. Fronds 6- 24 inches in length or more. |
| Height: |
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Fronds pendent. Spreads and forms small colonies. |
| Growth Rate: |
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Slow. |
| Range: |
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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: |
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Rockland hammocks. |
| Soils: |
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Constantly moist limestone rock. |
| 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 to moderate 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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Spring-summer. |
| Fruit: |
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Inconspicuous spores. |
| Wildlife and Ecology: |
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| Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown with difficulty from spores. |
| Comments: |
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It is listed as threatened by the state of Florida. |
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