PlantFiles: Christmas Fern, Dagger Fern, Polystic Faux-acrostiche
Polystichum acrostichoides

This is one of the few types of plant that stays green and healthy-looking under my big, water-sucking Norway maple. In that environment, it takes a couple of years to form a small clump, but it's alive, well, and attractive.

Native to eastern Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec), the eastern United States (Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Texas), and Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Considered a threatened species in the state of Minnesota, and listed as exploitably vulnerable in the state of New York.

Ours is surviving under a huge silver maple with no artificial watering in summer dry spells; however, it self-sows over mossy stones in shade not so full, and is growing quite lush under an old apple tree where it is very pretty with white bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis alba). I think the difference in its behavior between the two trees is that maple tree roots are said to grow horizontally (certainly do here), whereas apple tree roots (as well as oak tree roots) are said to grow perpendicularly (as in straight down). I would not want to be without the evergreen presence of this fern in the winter garden.

Although sources may say it is adaptable to high soil pH, I cannot vouch for it in my garden. It appears to have become chlorotic (even in different sites), compared to other Polystichum species.

Nice fronds of course. Mine is not as big as I would like, but it's a refined looking fern.

A very beautiful fern of medium size found growing in moist, alkaline hardwood forests. That's atleast where the ones I see are growing.

They enjoy moisture and shade. This is one of your classic wood's ferns.

Dark green fronds are lance-shaped and divided with holly-like leaflets. Although rhizomatous, this fern will not spread or naturalize, however clumps will increase in size over time. Best grown in organically rich, dry to medium wet, well-drained soils. If the soil isn't well-drained, the crown will rot. Requires more moisture in partial sun. Native to the U.S. - mostly the eastern portion.

Polystichum means: from the Greek polys, "many," and stichos, "row," referring to the rows of sori on the type species

I planted two small ferns this spring. I placed them behind my garden pond. This area is moist and shady. I placed them there to give some color to the pond during the winter months. Can't wait to see what they do!

I just bought my first fern and it was a Christmas fern. I repotted into a 10 in. hanging basket, it was in a 4 in. pot, so mine is a baby. Nonetheless, I think she is beautiful and can't wait till she grows. Do they grow fast?

Christmas fern is very common in our area of Southeast Missouri. In nature, it prefers shady slopes with lots of fallen leaves. In cultivation, it responds well to yearly applications of composted manure. Even though it is evergreen all winter, I cut the old fronds off when I first detect the new fiddleheads emerging (because the old ones will flatten out and start to yellow after the new foliage unfurls). That is when I fertilize them as well. Quite deer and insect resistant, and more drought tolerant than other ferns around here.

We rescued several of these from a construction site several years ago and they have thrived.

Evergreen here in 6b.

They will slowly spread thru underground runners and spores to form a loose open circle dozens of feet across in the wild.

Very well behaved and very much treasured.

This fern grows all over the shady part of my son's back yard in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. It was there before the house was built, growing in a small ravine, and once he installed a sprinkler system, it spread throughout the yard. It does stay green all winter in his yard in zone 7b, even under snow, and is a very pretty, medium size fern.

Prefers shade. Slow to spread. Stays green all winter. Tends to grow in upright clumps in moist, loamy soil. Has naturalized in my area.