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Physical description: The Christmas fern grows in lush clumps, and
its leathery, lance-shaped fronds are dark green year-round.
The sterile fronds are shorter, and usually broader, while fertile
fronds are longer and slender, and have the undersides of it
tips bronze with spores.
Optimal growing conditions: Partial shade in moist, acidic, well-drained
soil is the optimum site for Christmas fern, although this plant
grows well in most conditions with little maintenance. It tolerates
drought, heat, and poor soil as well as repeated transplanting.
Susceptibility to pests and diseases: Rabbits, chipmunks, and box turtles can be a
problem.
Use:
Christmas fern serves as a good border plant, or as a backdrop
for smaller plants in a shade garden. The leathery fronds are
often used by florists in floral arrangements.
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