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Dryopteris celsa is often confused with:
Dryopteris goldieana frond
Dryopteris x australis Leaves
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Cystopteris bulbifera Form
Dryopteris goldieana frond
Thelypteris noveboracensis Thelypteris noveboracensis

Dryopteris celsa

Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
dry-OP-ter-iss SEL-sah
Description

Short creeping rhizomes; easy to grow; is a fertile hybrid between D. goldiana and D. ludoviciana; naturally occurs on rotting logs and rich soil in swamps and wet woods; tolerates dry sites.

VIDEO Created by NC State Extension's Homegrown series featuring Mark Weathington, Director of JC Raulston Arboretum.

More information on Dryopteris.

Profile Video:
See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#easy to grow#shade garden#fern#NC native#deer resistant#food source summer#food source herbage#Coastal FAC#Piedmont Mountains OBL#dry soils tolerant#Audubon#heavy shade tolerant
 
Dryopteris celsa
Fronds James Emery CC BY 2.0
D. celsa
Close up of Fronds David Stang CC BY-SA 4.0
D. celsa
Fronds Krzysztof Ziarnek CC BY-SA 4.0
Dryopteris celsa
Fiddlehead David J.Stang CC BY-SA 4.0
Dryopteris celsa
Fiddlehead David J.Stang CC BY-SA 4.0
Dryopteris celsa
Spores on Fronds Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz CC BY-SA 4.0
Dryopteris celsa
Leaf and branch PumpkinSky CC BY-SA 4.0
Form
Form Cathy Dewitt CC BY 4.0
Form - April - Wake Co., NC
Form - April - Wake Co., NC Cathy DeWitt CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#easy to grow#shade garden#fern#NC native#deer resistant#food source summer#food source herbage#Coastal FAC#Piedmont Mountains OBL#dry soils tolerant#Audubon#heavy shade tolerant
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Dryopteris
    Species:
    celsa
    Family:
    Polypodiaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    North Central & Eastern U.S.A
    Distribution:
    South Eastern US
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    Heavy Shade, This plant is seldom damaged by deer.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Fern
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Native Plant
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Semi-evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Arching
    Clumping
    Creeping
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Fine
  • 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
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Occasionally Wet
    Available Space To Plant:
    12 inches-3 feet
    3 feet-6 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Description:
    No fruits. This plants reproduces via spores.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Description:
    No flowers.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Semi-evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Soft
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Leaf Type:
    Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
    Fronds
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Other/more complex
    Leaf Margin:
    Crenulate
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Rich, dark green color; blade is pinnate-pinnatified, oblong and has firm texture; long, slender pinna tips; rhizomes and stipe scales are black; stipe is one third the frond length
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Naturalized Area
    Near Septic
    Riparian
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Native Garden
    Shade Garden
    Winter Garden
    Design Feature:
    Accent
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Dry Soil
    Heavy Shade
    Wet Soil