Phegopteris connectilis

Common Names

Long Beech Fern, Narrow Beech Fern, Northern Beech Fern, Beech Fern, North Beech Fern

Summary

Long beech fern, also called beech fern or northern beech fern, is a deciduous fern with a long creeping rhizome that forms ground-covering patches. Fronds are pale to bright green, 15–60 cm long and triangular with finely divided pinnae; the lowest pinnae are separated and angle downward, while a winged rachis connects all but the two lowest pinnae. Sori lie near leaflet margins and lack indusia, and fronds die back in winter; the plant is native to circumboreal temperate regions across North America, Europe, and Asia.

It grows in moist, shaded sites on clay or loam soils with acidic to neutral pH, and prefers east- or north-facing sheltered sites in full to partial shade. Propagation is by spores when ripe or by division in spring; it forms ground-cover patches in cool upland forests and is generally pest- and disease-free. Hardiness is H5; landscape uses include naturalizing, massing, and groundcover in shade.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-23.5 inches

Spread

2-3 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 2-7

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade.

Soil Type

Moist, loamy soil; well-draining yet moisture-retentive; slightly acidic to neutral.

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained

Soil pH

Slightly acidic to neutral.

Bloom Color

Insignificant

Bloom Time

Spring and Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Slow growth; 2–5 years to reach full height; long-creeping.

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

Propagation Methods

Spores, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts none of bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, other pollinators, or birds.