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Royal fern
Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis
Osmundaceae
 

Copyright by: George D. Gann

General Landscape Uses: Specimen or accent groundcover in moist to wet sites.

Availability: Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida.

Description: large herbaceous fern.

Dimensions: About 3-4 feet in height. About as broad as tall.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Widespread in eastern and central North America south to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland; West Indies, Mexico and Central America. Not documented on barrier islands in South Florida, but possibly historically present; it grows well at Pan’s Garden in Palm Beach.

Plant Map Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.

 Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.

 Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.

Habitats: Swamps and marshes.

Soils: Wet, poorly-drained organic soils, acid pH.

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: Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.

Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade or moderate shade.

Flower Color: N/A.

Flower Characteristics: There are no flowers; the plants reproduce by spores.

Flowering Season: Spring.

Fruit: Inconspicuous spores.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from spores.

References: Nelson 2003

Comments: It is listed as commercially exploited by the state of Florida.


Copyright by: George D. Gann

Copyright by: Susan Trammell

Copyright by: Shirley Denton

Copyright by: Susan Lerner, cultivated at Pan's Garden, Town of Palm Beach, Florida, USA.

Copyright by: Susan Lerner, cultivated at Pan's Garden, Town of Palm Beach, Florida, USA.


Other data on Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis available from:



 
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