A Fern for All Seasons: The Christmas Fern is a Hardy Evergreen

The Christmas Fern is one a good choice for many homeowners for planting in shady, moist areas of the yard or on the north side of the house. It can be used as an attractive accent plant or used as an unusual and eye catching border plant. This fern stays green all year and was once used extensively as a Christmas decoration.

The Christmas fern is a native to much of eastern North America, growing in shaded and moist woodlands. This is one plant which enjoys shade and will not thrive in sunny conditions. The fern, which can grow two to three feet tall, forms a clump unlike many other ferns. It is easily recognizable in a woodland since it one of the few green plants poking through a blanket of snow.

Lush, new spring growth (fiddeleheads) begins early , as soon as the winter snows melt; sometimes even growing as early as the mayapples, leeks or trilliums and other wildflowers and to the sounds of the spring peepers. The fronds, a technical name for fern leaves, are an attractive silvery to light green color which are another tell-tale sign better weather is at hand. As the new growth emerges, the old fronds begin to quickly wither away.

It is a woodland scene which can be easily duplicated in the yard shade garden or in the hard to manage, wet and shady areas of the yard. The Christmas fern, a native perennial, under the proper conditions, is a carefree and hardy plant. Maintenance costs, such as fertilizers and sprays, are non-existent. The plant generally is not bothered by insects or diseases.

The Christmas fern does best in cool, moist, humus rich soil in the shade. It does not thrive in heavy, clay soils or in standing water. The soil should test for a pH of 6.8 or less, the best pH is between 5.2 and 5.5. Sphagnum peat moss, shredded bark mulch and mature composf can be added to the planting area which will help keep the soil cool and moist in addition to adding some acidity to the soil.

Once the fern is mature after several years, the clumps can be divided and re-planted. This is usually done early in the spring. The rhizomes should be planted after dividing just below the soil surface. The Christmas fern does produce tiny spores on the fronds which eventually help to spread new ferns in the planting area. The Christmas fern is commercially available at many garden centers and nurseries and can be collected in the wild following proper authorization (state and local laws and landowner permission).

The Christmas fern is an attraction plant which can be used effectively with hostas, trilliums, trout lilies, and bleeding hearts to help make a woodland type shade garden.

In the past, the Christmas fern was a very popular plant during the Christmas season and was used for wreath making and other yuletide decorations. At times, the fronds are also used in floral arrangements. For the home gardener, the Christmas fern offers year round enjoyment with minimal care and maintenance. The Christmas fern makes for an excellent addition for otherwise hard to manage, shady areas of the yard and brings a touch of the forest to the backyard