Sickle Fern Pellaea falcata
- Phonetic Spelling
- peh-LEE-ah fal-KAH-tah
- Description
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Partial shade to shade; moist soil; drought tolerant
Erect fishbone habit; variable form- large coarse dull green fronds to compact and shiny green
Fronds:
Erect fishbone habit; sickle shaped pinnae; rhachis and stipe are covered with fine scales; tends to lose some of its pinnae and become leggy; variable form- large coarse dull green fronds to compact and shiny green.
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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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Pellaea
- Species:
- falcata
- Family:
- Pteridaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Heavy shade, Deer
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Fern
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Creeping
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Fine
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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 Drainage:
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
- 12 inches-3 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b
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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:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Fronds
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Other/more complex
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Leaf Margin:
- Crenate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- sickle shaped pinnae; rhachis and stipe are covered with fine scales; tends to lose some of its pinnae and become leggy;
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Landscape Theme:
- Shade Garden
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Heavy Shade
