Phegopteris hexagonoptera

Common Names

Broad Beech Fern, Southern Beech Fern

Summary

Broad beech fern is a native eastern North American perennial fern that grows from a creeping rhizome into loose clumps, fronds are broadly triangular and 25–75 cm tall, with 7–20 opposite pinnae per leaf and a winged rachis extending to the lowest leaflets, the upper surface is dull green, the lower surface often pubescent, and sori are small, round, and naked on the undersides near vein termini with no indusium, releasing wind-dispersed spores in late summer to fall, the plant is deciduous, dying back in winter, it favors moist woods in full shade to dappled light on moderately acidic soils rich in organic matter and tolerates a range from fairly dry to evenly moist, it spreads by creeping rhizomes and can be somewhat aggressive under optimal conditions, making it suitable as a ground cover in moist, shady woodlands or for mass plantings in shade gardens and naturalized woodland settings, it is hardy in USDA zones 5–9, is deer- and rabbit-resistant, and fronds turn pale yellow in fall

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

18-24 inches

Spread

18-24 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5a-9b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade to full shade.

Soil Type

Moist, humus-rich, moderately acidic loam soil.

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained

Soil pH

Acidic to neutral

Bloom Time

Does not bloom.

Foliage Color

Green, ranging from pale green to dark green.

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Slow

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Spores, Division via rhizome branching, Cuttings (root cuttings)

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts small mammals and other pollinators/wildlife