December Perennial of the Month-Christmas fern

It’s the time of year when we focus on evergreens, grasses, and other winter-interest plants. Some of the most surprising evergreens for our area are evergreen ferns. Yes, ferns can be evergreen, and a winter trek through places like Pickle Springs south of St. Louis will make you believe in more than Santa Claus.

The aptly named Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides, is one of my favorite ferns. It’s one of a few native ferns with evergreen foliage and similar mounded habits that stick up among the leaves and moss of a winter walk in the woods. How do you tell Christmas ferns from the other evergreen ferns? The individual leaflets look a bit like Christmas Stockings…if you squint a little.

The Christmas fern loves moist, rich soils and shade to part-shade conditions. Compost and organic matter in well-drained soil is key to making Christmas ferns merry, where they grow to around 18” high and wide. A beautiful, lively addition to the shade garden where hostas and other perennials are dormant this time of year.

What I love about this plant;

-The graceful fronds

-It’s a great evergreen perennial for winter interest.

-Rabbit and deer resistant.

-VERY low-maintenance-will not spread and take over!

-Drought resistant.

-It’s a Missouri Botanical Garden Plant of Merit.

-It’s native!

What’s not so great;

-The fronds can get a little ragged over the winter. Cut them off in late winter or early spring, and the new foliage will replace them.

-Beware of crown rot and plant them high in well-drained soil.

Words and photos by Jo Batzer

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