Groundcover · Dryopteridaceae Draft — unreviewed
Christmas fern
Polystichum acrostichoides (Michx.) Schott
Evergreen native fern with leathery dark green fronds that persist through winter. Tolerates drier shade than most ferns.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 0.3–0.6 m (1–2 ft) tall and 0.5–0.9 m (1–3 ft) wide; slow growth, about 5 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.12) from the plug install size.
Design notes
- Clip old fronds in early spring as fiddleheads rise.
- Excellent on shaded slopes and with spring ephemerals.
Regions
Native range: Eastern North America.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Canadian wild ginger
Asarum canadense · Groundcover · 0.1–0.2 m (0–1 ft)
Pennsylvania sedge
Carex pensylvanica · Groundcover · 0.2–0.3 m (0–1 ft)
Golden ragwort
Packera aurea · Groundcover · 0.1–0.3 m (0–1 ft)
Moss phlox
Phlox subulata · Groundcover · 0.1–0.2 m (0 ft)
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia · Groundcover · 0.2–0.3 m (0–1 ft)
Blue Rug creeping juniper
Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' · Groundcover · 0.1–0.2 m (0 ft)
Plan with Christmas fern
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.