Polystichum acrostichoides - Christmas Fern

Polystichum acrostichoides, known as Christmas Fern, is a terrestrial fern widely found in North American meadows, which gets its name from its long evergreen and tough dark green fronds, decorative even in the heart of winter. In spring, pretty silver-white croziers appear near the base, unfolding into young fronds with metallic reflections, then growing into a perfect crown while darkening throughout the summer. It is one of the few species that tolerates dry soils and proves capable of adapting to various growing conditions. It will easily naturalise among dense shrubs or under moderately growing trees.

Christmas Fern is one of the most common ferns in North America, where it is found in a variety of habitats. It is a perennial plant of the Dryopteridaceae family, closely related to male fern. Polystichum acrostichoides forms a dense fountain-like clump, reaching a height and width of 40 to 60 cm (16 to 24 in). The sterile fronds form the flexible and trailing outer crown, while the fertile fronds, upright and narrow, form the centre. The mature fronds are distinctive and resemble a large Polypodium vulgare: they are tough, lanceolate, evergreen, measuring 30 to 80 cm (12 to 32 in) in length and 5-12 cm (2-5 in) in width. They are pinnate and composed of 20 to 35 pairs of pinnae. Spores are produced on small pinnae located towards the top of the frond. The emerging young croziers in spring are beautifully silver. The trailing rhizomes of this fern allow it to form beautiful colonies in a few years.

The Polystichum genus consists of a wide variety of particularly decorative plants throughout the year in most species and varieties. Christmas Fern adapts to many situations, making it accessible to every garden and gardener. We grow it among rocks in our shaded and cool rock garden. Its large glossy fronds can be used to create lovely arrangements for festive tables, at a time of year when flowers are scarce. In a woodland setting, it can be paired with simple plants such as butcher's broom, holly, mahonias, or cotoneasters. On a shady slope, it can be neighbours with hart's-tongue ferns or a sturdy and undemanding conifer like microbiota decussata. In a more refined bed, it can accompany, for example, fuchsias, lysimachias, and two-toned eucomis.