Interrupted maiden fern, Hottentot fern
|
Thelypteris interrupta
|
Thelypteridaceae
|
Landscape Uses:
|
|
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
|
|
Availability: |
|
Grown by enthusiasts. |
Description: |
|
Large herbaceous fern. |
Height: |
|
About 3-4 feet in height. Spreads from underground stems and forms large patches. |
Growth Rate: |
|
Moderate. |
Range: |
|
Miami-Dade and Collier counties north to Brevard, Lake and Levy counties; disjunct in Liberty and Franklin counties; Louisiana; West Indies, Mexico, Central America, South America and Old World. |
Habitats: |
|
Wet hammocks and swamps. |
Soils: |
|
Seasonally wet to moist, moderately well-drained to poorly-drained organic soils. |
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. |
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 with difficulty, and division. |
Comments: |
|
|
|
|
|
|