Rock polypody

Sun

Partial to full shade; gentle morning sun is suitable where the roots stay cool.

Water

Moderate while establishing; tolerates occasional dry periods once established in cool shade. Avoid constantly wet soil.

Soil

Acidic to neutral, humus-rich and sharply drained; especially suited to shallow soil pockets among non-limestone rocks.

Height

0.5-1 ft (0.15-0.3 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m), gradually spreading farther by creeping rhizomes

Foliage

Evergreen. Leathery green fronds with rounded to pointed lobes arranged along a central stalk. Round, uncovered clusters of spores develop beneath mature fronds.

Growth

Slow

Care needed

Low

• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.7 ft (0.22 m)

   full size

About 5 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US and Canada

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant with the creeping rhizome at the soil surface rather than buried deeply.
• Water during dry spells through the first growing season, allowing excess water to drain freely.
• Add a thin layer of leaf mould around the plant, keeping the rhizome uncovered.
• Avoid routine feeding; a light annual top-dressing of leaf mould is usually enough.
• Leave established colonies undisturbed unless you need to divide or move them.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, snip off dead or badly damaged fronds close to their bases before new growth expands. Keep healthy green fronds rather than cutting the whole plant back.

Early spring

Remove damaged fronds and check that fallen leaves have not buried the rhizomes.

Spring

Plant nursery-grown plants in shaded rock pockets, or divide established clumps if necessary.

Late spring

Water new plants during dry weather while their roots establish.

Summer

Check shallow planting pockets during prolonged drought and water thoroughly if they become very dry.

Autumn

Add a thin dressing of leaf mould around the colony without covering its surface rhizomes.

Winter

Leave healthy evergreen fronds in place and avoid walking on frozen plants.

• Tuck into shaded rock crevices to soften stone without hiding its shape.
• Use along a woodland path with mosses and small sedges for low, evergreen texture.
• Plant beneath deciduous trees among exposed roots where drainage is good and soil is shallow.
• Grow in a shaded trough with other small woodland plants, using a gritty, leaf-mould-rich mix.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Moss and fern garden, Japanese, Winter interest, Low-maintenance and New England.

Plant it with: Christmas fern, Pennsylvania sedge, Wild columbine, Wintergreen, Foamflower and Barrenwort.

Wildlife: Low frond cover shelters small invertebrates. Like other ferns, it produces spores rather than flowers and does not provide nectar or pollen.

• Rhizome rot in wet or deeply buried planting sites: improve drainage and keep the rhizome at the surface.
• Scorched or bleached fronds in strong sun: provide more shade, especially during hot afternoons.
• Brown or curled fronds during prolonged drought: water the root zone thoroughly and add a light leaf-mould dressing around the plant.
• Slugs or snails damaging young fronds: inspect at dusk and hand-pick, removing nearby hiding places.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people, but species-specific safety information is limited. Neither the fronds nor the rhizomes should be treated as food.

• Appalachian polypody (Polypodium appalachianum)

  Often has a more triangular frond outline, but it overlaps strongly with rock polypody. Reliable identification may require microscopic examination of spores; frond shape alone is not dependable.

• Resurrection fern (Pleopeltis polypodioides)

  Has conspicuous scales on the undersides of its fronds and often grows on tree branches in warmer regions. Rock polypody has comparatively smooth frond undersides apart from its round spore clusters.

Polypodium comes from Greek words meaning 'many little feet', referring to the creeping rhizome and its appendages, while virginianum means 'of Virginia'.

Propagation. Divide a healthy colony in spring, keeping several fronds and rooted sections of rhizome on each piece. Replant shallowly and keep evenly moist while establishing. Spores can also be sown, but raising plants this way is slow and requires careful hygiene and humidity control.

Accepted botanical name

Polypodium virginianum

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada, Greenland, the lower 48 states and St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Native range

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Greenland, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Kentucky.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.