Common Rockcap Fern Polypodium virginianum
- Phonetic Spelling
- pol-ee-POH-dee-um vir-jin-ee-AY-num
- Description
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Common Rockcap Fern is a native evergreen fern found in moist rocky areas from Greenland south through Canada and the U.S.A. This plant is mat-forming and drought tolerant. This plant looks very similar to Polypodium appalachianum, making it difficult to distinguish the two plants. One key difference, however, is that this plant's leaf blades are widest near the middle.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No significant diseases or pests. Watch for Florida Fern Caterpillar.
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:
- Polypodium
- Species:
- virginianum
- Family:
- Polypodiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Sub Arctic North America
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Heavy shade, Deer
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Fern
- Native Plant
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Soil Texture:
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
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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:
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Fronds
- Hairs Present:
- No
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Native Garden
- Shade Garden
- Attracts:
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Heavy Shade
