Christmas fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
What it is
Polystichum acrostichoides, commonly called Christmas fern, is a perennial, evergreen fern native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota and south to Florida and eastern Texas and naturalized in Europe. It is one of the most common ferns in eastern North America, being found within moist and shady areas in forests, rocky slopes, and stream banks. The common name of Christmas fern, derives from its evergreen fronds which are often still green at...
Where and when to find it
- Habitat
- You can find Christmas ferns in the eastern and central United States, often in moist, shady woods and along stream banks.
- How to find it
- Look for its dark green leaves, or 'fronds,' growing in clusters on the forest floor. They look a bit like little Christmas stockings!
- Best time of day
- All year; they are evergreen.
How it lives
- What it eats
- It makes its own food from sunlight, water, and air.
- What eats it
- Deer (sometimes), insects (very little), and slugs.
Worth knowing
- Its leaflets are shaped like little Christmas stockings.
- It's an evergreen plant, meaning it stays green all year.
- Ferns do not have flowers or seeds; they reproduce with spores.
- Native Americans used this fern for medicine.
- It likes to grow on slopes and rocky hillsides.
- The 'Christmas' in its name comes from staying green in winter.
Why it matters
Christmas ferns provide shelter for small animals and help hold soil in place. This prevents erosion on forest floors.