Species Dryopteris expansa | Known

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Is Dryopteris expansa growing in your garden? Record it and all of your plants in Known.

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Names

Common Names: Spiny Wood Fern, Spreading Woodfern, Northern Wood Fern, Shield Fern

Growth

Height: 12-36 inches
Spread: 6-12 inches
Growth Rate: Moderate growth rate (easy to grow)

Appearance

Bloom Color: Insignificant
Foliage Color: Green
Fall Foliage Color: Green

Environment

Hardiness Zones: Zones 3-7
Sunlight Requirements: Ideally partial shade with about 3–6 hours of filtered sunlight daily; avoid direct sun.
Soil Type: Loam, sandy loam, or clay soils that stay moist but well-drained, rich in organic matter, with mildly acidic to neutral pH
Soil Drainage: Moist, well-drained soil
Soil pH: 5.5-7.0, Mildly acidic to neutral soils.

Lifecycle

Lifecycle: Perennial
Leaf Lifecycle: Deciduous
Seasons of Interest: Spring
Bloom Time: Summer

Reproduction

Propagation Methods: Spores, Seeds/Seeding, Division

Wildlife

Attracts Wildlife: Attracts hummingbirds; no indication of attraction for bees, butterflies/pollinators, or birds.

References

Taxonomy

Taxonomic Rank: Species
Author: (C.Presl) Fraser-Jenk. & Jermy
Publication: Fern Gaz. 11: 338. 1977

Superior Taxa

Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Pteridobiotina
Phylum: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Subclass: Polypodiidae
Order: Polypodiales
Family: Dryopteridaceae
Subfamily: Dryopteridoideae
Genus: Dryopteris

Inferior Taxa

Dryopteris expansa var. alpina Dryopteris expansa var. willeana

Synonyms

Dryopteris minimisora Lastrea expansa Dryopteris assimilis Dryopteris dilatata subsp. americana Nephrodium expansum Dryopteris morrisonensis Dryopteris siranensis Dryopteris austriaca subsp. assimilis Dryopteris carthusiana subsp. assimilis Dryopteris expansa subsp. assimilis Dryopteris spinulosa var. morrisonensis Aspidium spinulosum var. oblongum Dryopteris spinulosa subsp. assimilis

References

Taxonomic data from World Flora Online, accessed June 20, 2024