| Virginia chain fern
|
| Woodwardia virginica
|
| Blechnaceae
|
Landscape Uses:
|
|
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also an accent groundcover in shady, wet areas. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
|
|
| Availability: |
|
Available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. |
| Description: |
| |
Medium to large herbaceous fern. |
| Height: |
| |
Typically 2-4 feet in height. Spreading from underground stems (rhizomes) and forming patches. |
| Growth Rate: |
| |
Moderate. |
| Range: |
| |
Eastern and central United States west to Texas and south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties. |
| Habitats: |
| |
Swamps, marshes and wet hammocks. |
| 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: |
| |
Summer-fall. |
| Fruit: |
| |
Inconspicuous spores. |
| Wildlife and Ecology: |
| |
|
| Horticultural Notes: |
| |
Can be grown from division, and from spores with difficulty. |
| Comments: |
| |
|
|
|
|
|