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. |
|
|
|
|