PlantFiles: Southern grapefern
Botrychium biternatum

Southern grapefern Botrychium biternatum is Native to Texas and other States.

This plant is not rare nor endangered in Florida, but is rarely seen. I am just very lucky to have found them growing in my yard when I bought my house three years ago. They have continued to thrive. I've collected them from various spots around in my yard and put them all together in one area as their own "nature preserve" so that they are out of harm's way from foot traffic or if I happen to miss seeing them when I mow.

The plants never seem to develop more than one or two leaves. The leaves are an interesting texture and shape - somewhat like the shape of a grape leaf and thus their common name of "Southern Grape Fern." They tend to turn yellow and go dormant in the hottest days of summer, then return around late October with new leaves. They send up their spore stalks in December in my yard. They did not do as well for me this year as in previous years. I had to take down the large oak near their "nature preserve" plot. The tree was providing them the shade they like, but the tree was also threatening my roof in heavy winds. I erected a shade cloth around the area where they are planted to try to simulate the shade they had before the tree was taken down. I hope I can keep them going for decades to come!

Jeremy