Christmas Fern – polystichum acrostichoides
Sustainable Landscaping with Native Plants
“Chances are, you have never thought of your garden, indeed of all of the space on your property, as a wildlife preserve that represents the last opportunity we have for sustaining plants and animals that were once common throughout the U.S.”
Christmas Fern is one of the native treasures of the American woodlands and will provide your garden with four seasons of deep, evergreen beauty. A deer-resistant native of the Eastern United States, this robust fern has leathery, deep green fronds that die back at the beginning of spring but are immediately replaced with fresh new foliage. If allowed to stay in place, the older, drying foliage creates a mat around the fern which protects loose earth from eroding rains, making this a great choice for stream banks or difficult slopes. They are easily divisible for gardeners with large areas to cover.
A shade gardener favorite, this fern sports distinctive, stocking-shaped fronds which continue to look lush well into the January snows and were once used by settlers as holiday decorations. Four-season gardeners will especially appreciate the longevity and hardiness of this beautiful native fern. Although a lover of moist woodland sites, Christmas fern can also be planted in rockier areas with drier soils. Consider using it as a groundcover, or as a terrific evergreen accent around other deciduous and ephemeral woodland plants.
Christmas fern’s tightly coiled fiddleheads emerge silvery green in early spring. As the frond matures, the long, narrow blade deepens to a rich, dark green. The stipe (stalk or petiole) of the frond is brown and scaly at the base. The blade (leafy portion) of the frond is lanceolate and widest at the base. The blade is pinnate, meaning that it is divided into a number of pinnae (leaflets) that are arranged regularly on each side and the pinnae are cut all the way to the rachis (axis of the blade).
On mature plants, the first fronds that emerge in spring are generally fertile and are held stiffly upright. The sori (spore cases) are round and appear on the upper third to half of the fertile frond. They are arranged in rows on each side of the pinna midrib. This characteristic gives Christmas fern its botanical name, for in Greek, poly means “many” and stichos means “row.” The fertile fronds are followed by somewhat shorter, sterile fronds, which tend to be more loosely arching in form.
At Lincoln Landscaping cultivating the environment is our life and livelihood. It is our number one goal to help our clients create and maintain beautiful landscapes while reducing the impact on the environment. Whether you are interested in a pollinator landscape garden design and build or other landscaping or property management project; we can create for you an environmentally friendly, organic and beautiful property.
Lincoln Landscaping “The Natural Choice”
Mike Kolenut President & CEO
https://lincolnlandscapinginc.com
(201) 848-9699
