Christmas fern
Polystichum acrostichoides · Polypodiaceae Popular
The most useful native fern: leathery, dark green fronds that stay green through winter, in a tidy clump that never spreads. Each leaflet has a small 'toe', like a Christmas stocking.
- Size
- 20 in tall, 20 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 9
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around Christmas fern
The planner designed this bed around Christmas fern when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why Christmas fern stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Christmas fern × 3, dark green leaves
- 2 Moor grass 'Greenlee' × 6, tan
- 3 Creeping woodland phlox × 8, blue
- 4 White snakeroot 'Chocolate' × 3, white
- 5 Tall astilbe 'Superba' × 3, purple
- 6 Mountain hydrangea 'Tuff Stuff' × 1, pink
- 7 Giant snowdrop × 10, white
- 8 Winter cyclamen × 10, pink
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- A classic partner for creeping woodland phlox, white snakeroot 'Chocolate' and giant snowdrop. All are on this plan. A pairing gardeners have proved outranks a general rule.
Why here
- In the middle. At 20 in it is the step between creeping woodland phlox (8 in) in front and mountain hydrangea 'Tuff Stuff' (2½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
- Beside creeping woodland phlox, winter cyclamen and giant snowdrop. Recognised partners: the planner puts such plants together where it can.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, all year. They cover the 11 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
- The only leaves in winter. From November to March it is what there is to look at.
Planned as an English border: 6 of the 6 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Christmas fern stands beside giant snowdrop, a proven pairing. The back corners are held by white snakeroot 'Chocolate' and tall astilbe 'Superba', the tallest plants on the plan.
The planner's own design check: 13 Excellent, 3 Good, 1 Satisfactory.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where Christmas fern goes in a border
At 20 in it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
Evergreen, clump-forming and tolerant of dry shade, it is the backbone of a native shade planting. Mass it on slopes; the fronds lie flat in winter and hold the soil.
- Evergreen structure in shade
- Slopes and dry shade
- Winter interest in a woodland garden
What to plant with Christmas fern
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Wild ginger: bold leaves against its medium ones; low enough (6 in) to stand in front of it.
- Foamflower: adds the flowers, late April to late May; low enough (10 in) to stand in front of it.
- White trillium: adds the flowers, mid April to mid May.
Questions about Christmas fern
Does Christmas fern need sun or shade?
Christmas fern grows in part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light). It is one of the few that also put up with deep shade.
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does Christmas fern grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should Christmas fern be planted?
18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 20 in (50 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 20 in (50 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many Christmas fern plants do I need?
At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.
Is Christmas fern poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension and the ASPCA.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat Christmas fern?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What does Christmas fern look like in winter?
Christmas fern keeps its dark green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone. It is grown for winter interest in a woodland garden as well.
Is Christmas fern good for bees and butterflies?
Christmas fern is visited by songbirds.
It is native to the United States and Canada.
More Polystichum
- Braun's holly fern Polystichum braunii
- Korean rock fern Polystichum tsus-simense
- Makino's holly fern Polystichum makinoi
- Soft shield fern Polystichum setiferum
- Tassel fern Polystichum polyblepharum
- Western sword fern Polystichum munitum
In these guides
- Plants for deep shade
- Deer-resistant plants for shade
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Pet-safe plants for shade
- Native plants for shade
- Garden plants native to Canada
- Plants that feed garden birds
- Evergreen perennials, ferns and grasses
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Fern
- Size
- 20 in (50 cm) tall, 20 in (50 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Medium texture, evergreen; dark green
- Shape
- Arching, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 9
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Polypodiaceae
- Comes from
- Eastern Canada to Mexico
- Attracts
- Songbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, deep shade
Checked against NC State Extension and ASPCA poison lists. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.