PLANTS

Sword Fern

Polystichum munitum

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A large evergreen Pacific Northwest fern with stiff dark green sword-shaped fronds, common in coastal coniferous forests and a popular shade landscape plant.

Description

Sword fern forms vase-like clumps of stiff leathery fronds divided into many narrow leaflets. The dark green fronds stay green through mild winters and arch around a tight central crown.

Cultivation

A hardy and long-lived shade plant for cool, moist, woodland soils. Once established it tolerates summer drought and recovers quickly from frost damage.

Uses

A staple of Pacific Northwest gardens and a key plant in the carpet of coastal redwood forests, sword fern is also cut for florist greens and once provided emergency bedding for travelers.

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Sword Fern starts with S and ends with N. Browse other plants along the same letter.

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