General Landscape Uses:
Shady groundcover.
Availability:
Rarely grown by native plant nurseries.
Description: Deciduous clumping fern 2-3 feet tall and wide. Large, erect, brittle fronds two-times compound
Dimensions: Typically 2-3 feet in height. Usually as broad as tall.
Range:
Eastern United States south to Marion County.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Moist hammocks, swamps, shaded bluffs
Soils: Wet to moist, poorly-drained to well-drained, usually organic soils.
Nutritional Requirements: High; requires rich organic soils for optimal growth.
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: Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements: Shade to light shade.
Flower Color: N/A
Flower Characteristics: There are no flowers; the plants reproduce by spores.
Fruit: Inconspicuous spores.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from divisions or spores.
References: Mellichamp (
2014), Wunderlin and Hansen 2011
Comments: We have been adding data for this species for central and northern Florida and welcome any feedback or review. If you would like to contribute information or images, please contact George Gann via the IRC staff page.
