Lygodium japonicum

Common Names

Japanese Climbing Fern, Kani-Kusa, Tsuru-Shinobu

Summary

Japanese climbing fern is a perennial climbing fern native to eastern Asia that can twine around shrubs and trees and form dense mats in disturbed or forested habitats, its fronds are lacy and finely dissected, with slender wiry rhizomes supporting a vine like habit; fertile fronds bear sporangia that produce wind dispersed spores, enabling rapid spread, this plant is invasive in parts of the southeastern United States and is listed as a noxious weed in Florida, where dense canopies shade understory vegetation and threaten native plants and timber related ecosystems, for cultivation it tolerates sun or shade and thrives in damp disturbed or undisturbed environments such as floodplain forests, wetlands, and pine flatwoods, with hardiness zones 8a to 11, management focuses on preventing spore spread and establishment, chemical controls such as glyphosate are effective, often requiring follow up treatments, while mechanical removal is complicated by underground rhizomes, biological control options are under study, with rust pathogens investigated for related species, prevention is key to limiting spread, including avoiding transport of spore containing material, and early season or late season applications may be preferred to reduce spore release.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

12-1080 inches

Spread

90 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 7a-10b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Partial Shade, tolerates Full Sun to Full Shade.

Soil Type

Moist, loamy, well-draining soil with circumneutral pH

Soil Drainage

Well-drained, consistently moist soil

Soil pH

6.5-7.0, Circumneutral pH (around 7), Neutral to slightly acidic soil

Bloom Time

Does not bloom

Foliage Color

Green (typically light green)

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Rapid

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

Propagation Methods

Spores, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts no listed wildlife