Ferns

Christmas Fern The Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides, occurs in both dry and moist wooded slopes, moist banks and ravines. It typically grows in a fountain-like clump to 2' tall and features leathery, lance-shaped, evergreen (green at Christmas time as the common name suggests) fronds. Stocking shape of the pinnae also suggests Christmas. Crosiers (young fiddleheads) in spring are silvery and scaled. Christmas ferns are asymmetrical with a fine texture and has a moderately dense crown. The evergreen fronds provide good winter interest for the landscape. These plants serve as hosts for butterfly larvae.

Christmas Fern The Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides, occurs in both dry and moist wooded slopes, moist banks and ravines. Stocking shape of the pinnae also suggests Christmas. Crosiers (young fiddleheads) in spring are silvery and scaled. Sori appear on the undersides of the pinnae only at the ends (last 1/3) of the fronds. Christmas ferns are asymmetrical with a fine texture and has a moderately dense crown. These plants serve as hosts for butterfly larvae.

Cinnamon Fern The Cinnamon Fern, Osmunda cinnamonea, occurs in moist, boggy ground along streams and on shaded ledges and grows in clumps to 2'-3' tall, but with constant moisture can reach 5' in height. When new fronds appear, they have a cinnamon color. The yellowish-green sterile fronds remain attractive throughout the summer and turn yellow in autumn. The common name of Cinnamon ferns is in reference to the cinnamon colored fibers found near the fronds base. This fern is used in container plantings, rock gardens, borders, specimen plants and as ground cover.

Royal Fern The Royal Fern, Osmunda regalis, is a tall, deciduous fern which usually occurs on moist bluffs and ledges and along streams (sometimes growing in the water). Royal Ferns typically grows in clumps to 2-3' tall, but with constant moisture can reach 6' in height. Fronds typically turn yellow to brown in autumn. The Royal Fern is also known as the Flowering Fern and is deciduous. Spores are located in brown, tassel-like, fertile clusters at the tips of the fronds, thus giving rise to the additional common name of flowering fern for this plant. It also grows well in shaded borders, woodland gardens, wild gardens or native plant gardens.