Holly Fern
Cyrtomium falcatum
This evergreen fern can reach a height of 2 to 3 feet and a spread of 3 to 4 feet. Holly fern gets its name from the pointed tips on its leathery leaves. This groundcover prefers soil pH that is slightly acid to slightly alkaline, 6.0 to 7.2. It has a moderate growth rate. Any soil texture works well (clay loam, sandy loam, sandy or sandy clay). This plant prefers well-drained to medium-well-drained soil moisture. It has medium drought and low to no salt tolerance and prefers partial shade.
Holly Fern is a low maintenance plant that makes a great addition to the landscape and is deer resistant. It is a great border plant, does well in a container and is lovely when planted in mass. This groundcover is a good understory plant, planted under other plants with more height, such as camellia, sweet olive or hollies.
Holly ferns border our front sidewalk and are featured in the Discovery Garden. For more information on this plant, please see “Holly Fern Dresses Up a Shady Corner” by Marie Harrison at http://leon.ifas.ufl.edu/News_Columns/2004/020504.pdf and “Landscaping in the Shade” by Sydney Park Brown at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep457.
Hope you will stop by to see our plants.
Lynn Barber
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