Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fern
Fern
Origin
South America, Southern Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand
North America, Northeastern United States
Types
-
Polystichum acrostichoides
Number of Varieties
3010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Bog Garden, Boggy areas, Swamps
Boggy areas, By seashore, Coastal Regions, Moist woods, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-113-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
8-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Odd Pinnate
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Shade, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Fall, Spring, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Divison, Spores
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Shade, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune for size control
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Does not require fertilizer once established
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Drought
Flowers
-
-
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Deers, Scale Insects
Insects
Allergy
-
Avoid during Pregnancy, coma, Eye irritation, weakness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Formal Garden, Ground Cover
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Leaves
Other Uses
useful as a ground cover
Air freshner, Decoration Purposes, Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Foundation, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
RUMOHRA adiantiformis
POLYSTICHUM acrostichoides
Common Name
leatherleaf fern
leathery shieldfern
iron fern
7-weeks-fern
climbing shield fern
Christmas Fern
In Hindi
leatherleaf
Christmas Fern
In German
Leatherleaf
Christmas Fern
In French
Leatherleaf
polystic faux-acrostic
In Spanish
leatherleaf
Christmas Fern
In Greek
Leatherleaf
Christmas Fern
In Portuguese
leatherleaf
Christmas Fern
In Polish
Leatherleaf
Christmas Fern
In Latin
Leatherleaf
Christmas Fern
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Filicinophyta
Class
Polypodiopsida
Filicopsida
Order
Polypodiales
Filicales
Family
Dryopteridaceae
Dryopteridaceae
Genus
Rumohra
Polystichum
Clade
-
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
50700
1
27800
👆🏻