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Christmas Fern
These plants serve as hosts for butterfly larvae. 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. This fern does not spread but the clumps increase in size over time. 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. Sori appear on the undersides of the pinnae only at the ends (last 1/3) of the fronds. The evergreen fronds provide good winter interest for the landscape. Crosiers (young fiddleheads) in spring are silvery and scaled. Christmas ferns are asymmetrical with a fine texture and has a moderately dense crown. ... details
Leatherwood Fern These ferns prefer loamy moist soils, and do best in cool position in the garden, so avoid the afternoon sun. The evergreen fronds are very attractive and provide good interest to the winter landscape. The Leatherwood Fern or Marginal Shield Fern is an evergreen fern which typically forms a non-spreading, vase-shaped clump to 1. This is a woodland fern which is most often found in shaded crevices of rocky ledges and bluffs. Leatherwood Ferns features grayish-green, deeply cut, leathery fronds (15-20" long). Sori are located at the edges or margins of the pinnule undersides, hence the common name. |
