Cyrtomium falcatum
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- sir-TOH-mee-um fal-KAY-tum
- This plant is an invasive species in North Carolina
- Description
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Holly fern gets it common name from the leaflet's resemblance to the leaves of a holly shrub. Typically an evergreen, it can also be deciduous in colder locations.
This easy to grow, stout, scaly fern grows best in moist, humus rich soil in a shady location. Its native habitats include hardwood forests with moist, cool, well-drained soil.
It is seldom damaged by deer or rabbits and has some tolerance to salt.
The spores are light green when young and darken as they mature. They are located on the underside of the fronds in a scattered fashion.
This low maintenance plant requires no pruning, however, fronds damaged by frost can be removed for a neater appearance.
Quick ID Hints:
- Fronds pinnately compound
- Pinnate oblong-ovate, falcate
- Sori & indusium round
- Lacks the lacy-like fronds of many other ferns
Rhizomes ascending to erect, short, densely scaly basally.
Sori uniformly distributed, round, numerous; indusium peltate, orbicular.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Scale, fungal spots and root rot can be issues for this plant. Mealybugs and mites will attack when the plant has been weakened by drought.
VIDEO Created by NC State Extension's Homegrown series featuring Mark Weathington, Director of JC Raulston Arboretum.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Garden Treasures
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Cyrtomium
- Species:
- falcatum
- Family:
- Polypodiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- China to Temp. Eastern Asia and Vietnam
- Play Value:
- Easy to Grow
- Shade
- Textural
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Heavy shade, Deer and salt
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 5 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Fern
- Ground Cover
- Houseplant
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Dense
- Erect
- Mounding
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7b, 7a, 8b, 8a, 9b, 9a, 10b, 10a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Description:
- No fruits. This plants reproduces via spores.
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Flowers:
- Flower Description:
- No flowers.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leathery
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Fronds
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Undulate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The dark green fronds that grow to 2' long are coarse and leathery. A stiff, arching form with 3-11 pairs of 3-4" long, randomly spaced, scythe-shaped pinnate fronds. It has open vase shape with lustrous, pinnately compound fronds with short-petiolulate, oblong to ovate, falcate, margin dentate above, entire basally.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- The slender stem form an arching mound.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Hanging Baskets
- Houseplants
- Naturalized Area
- Pond
- Slope/Bank
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Rock Garden
- Shade Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Heat
- Heavy Shade
- Humidity
- Rabbits
- Salt
- Problems:
- Invasive Species
- Weedy
