Dryopteris cristata
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- dry-OP-ter-iss chris-TAH-tah
- Description
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Crested woodfern is a native evergreen to semi-evergreen perennial in the polypody family (Polypodiaceae) native to Canada, the United States, Asia and Europe, including the cool regions of North Carolina. It can be found growing in moist to wet sites of woods and swampy areas. The species epithet is from the Latin meaning "crested," which the fertile fronds resemble in profile.
The fern grows in clumps with narrow fronds. Crested woodfern prefers moist to wet, fertile, acidic soils in shade to partial sun. It will spread over time by creeping rhizomes. Propagation is by spores or division.
The dark green fertile fronds grow upright and die back in winter, while the sterile fronds are arching and evergreen. The indusia and sori are round to kidney-shaped and brown and occur on the undersides of the fertile fronds.
Use crested wood fern in the shade, rain, native or winter gardens, along streams and ponds, in groups or borders.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious pests or diseases.
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:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- ‘Lepidota Crestata’
Crested cultivar
- ‘Lepidota Crestata’
- ‘Lepidota Crestata’
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- ‘Lepidota Crestata’
Crested cultivar
- ‘Lepidota Crestata’
- ‘Lepidota Crestata’
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Dryopteris
- Species:
- cristata
- Family:
- Polypodiaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The plant has been used medicinally.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe to Central Siberia, Canada to U.S.A
- Distribution:
- AL , CT , DC , DE , GA , IA , ID , IL , IN , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MT , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , TN , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV Canada: NB , NL , NS , ON , PE
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Heavy shade, This plant is seldom damaged by deer.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Fern
- Ground Cover
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Habit/Form:
- Creeping
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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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:
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Frequent Standing Water
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Description:
- No fruits. This plant reproduces via spores. Spores are kidney-shaped and brown in uneven rows on the undersides of fertile fronds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Description:
- No flowers.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Leathery
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Fronds
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Rosulate
- Leaf Margin:
- Crenate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The once compound fronds are up to 30 inches long and 5 inches wide, narrowly lanceolate to oblong and tapering at the tips. The upper leaflets have 6 or more lobes with bristly-tipped teeth and are rotated and held parallel to the ground on fertile fronds, while the lower leaflets are triangular and larger. These two features make it easy to identify. The larger upright fertile fronds die in winter, while the arching sterile fronds are evergreen.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- The green stem has scattered tan scales, especially near the base.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Near Septic
- Riparian
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Native Garden
- Rain Garden
- Shade Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Heavy Shade
- Wet Soil
