Availability:
Rarely grown by native plant nurseries.
Description: Evergreen fern 2.5 feet tall with thick, leathery fronds.
Dimensions: Typically 2.5 feet in height.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Eastern and southern United States south to Alachua and Clay counties. Populations also present in Hernando and Collier counties.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Rocky hammocks and swamp margins.
Soils: Moist to seasonally wet, well-drained to poorly-drained sandy or limestone soils, with humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance: Moderate to low; requires moist to wet soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements: Moderate to light shade.
Flower Color: N/A
Flower Characteristics: There are no flowers; the plants reproduce by spores.
Fruit: Inconspicuous 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.
