Polystichum acrostichoides

Christmas Fern

A native fern with beautiful glossy, deep-green, lance-shaped fronds. The fronds emerge upright and arch gently. They eventually lay down to cover the ground as they mature. It is one of the first ferns to emerge in spring and has hairy brown leaf stems and fiddleheads that emerge from its crown. This fern's common name comes from the fact that it was one of the few "greens" available to early pioneers for Christmas displays.

Height 12-30 Inches

Spread 18-24 Inches

USDA Hardiness Zone 3-8

Good Companions Crested Iris (Iris cristata), New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae), Black Cohosh (Cimifuga racemosa), Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)

Characteristics & Attributes

Hydrologic Designation • UPL	Season of Interest • Early (Feb-Apr) • Winter (Nov-Mar) • Late (July-frost) • Mid (May-June)	Soil Moisture • Moderate • Average
Special Features • Evergreen	Special Uses • Ground Cover	Sun Exposure • Shade
USFS MO Ecological Map • Central Dissected Till Plain • Osage Plains • Mississippi Aluvial Basin • Ozark Highlands	Wildlife Benefit • Cover