Description

If you take a walk in the park in winter and see green fronds peeping through snow piles, chances are it’s a Christmas fern! This fern is so named because it stays green throughout Christmas. (It actually is green throughout the year!) This upright, clumping fern is often used as a groundcover. Although rhizomatous, this fern will not spread or naturalize, however clumps will increase in size over time. Distinctive dark green, leathery evergreen leaves generally look attractive into the winter months. Crosiers (young fiddleheads) appear in spring and are silvery and scaled. Christmas fern is able to withstand drier conditions than many other ferns, and prefers well-drained soils. General fern growing tips: Ferns prefer well-drained soil high in organic matter. Most ferns require a moist, shady spot to grow. Many need plenty of moisture during the growing season and should be given an inch or more of water per week if not supplied by rains. Mulch with leaves or aged hardwood bark in the spring and fall. Fern foliage provides food for many butterflies and moths during their caterpillar stage. Height: 1-2 ft. Spread: 1-2 ft. Family: Dryopteridaceae Sun: part shade to full shade Water: dry to medium Deer and rabbit resistant photo credit: David J. Stang