20 Christmas Ferns Bare Root Plants – Polystichum Acrostichoides – Native Perennial

Overview

Introduce the timeless beauty of the Christmas Ferns bare root to your garden. This offering includes 20 individual bare root plants of Polystichum Acrostichoides, a highly sought-after native perennial fern known for its elegant, dark green fronds that persist through winter, providing year-round interest. Unlike many other ferns that die back with the first frost, the evergreen fern plant characteristic of the Christmas Fern ensures your garden maintains its charm even in colder months. These organically grown roots are harvested fresh per order, guaranteeing healthy and vibrant specimens ready for planting. The Christmas Fern is a true gem for any shade garden fern enthusiast, thriving in woodland settings and offering a touch of wild elegance to cultivated spaces.

The name “Christmas Fern” comes from its evergreen nature and the fact that its fronds resemble a Christmas stocking. This resilient plant is a fantastic choice for naturalizing areas, stabilizing slopes, or simply adding texture and depth to your perennial borders. With its low-maintenance requirements and attractive foliage, the Polystichum Acrostichoides is an excellent addition for both beginner and experienced gardeners looking to create a serene and enduring landscape.

Key Benefits

The Christmas Ferns bare root offers numerous advantages, making it an exceptional choice for various garden designs and conditions. Its hardiness and distinctive appearance contribute to a thriving and beautiful outdoor space.

• Year-Round Greenery: As an evergreen fern plant, the Christmas Fern retains its lush, dark green fronds throughout the winter, providing continuous visual appeal and preventing barren garden spots during colder seasons. This ensures your landscape remains vibrant even when other plants are dormant.
• Native Ecosystem Support: Being a native perennial fern, Polystichum Acrostichoides is perfectly adapted to local climates and soils, requiring less intervention. It also supports local wildlife and contributes to the ecological balance of your garden.
• Shade Tolerance: This fern thrives in partial to full shade, making it an ideal solution for challenging areas under trees, along north-facing walls, or in other dimly lit parts of your garden where many other plants struggle to grow. It’s an excellent choice for a shade garden fern.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, Christmas Ferns are remarkably self-sufficient. They require minimal watering and fertilization, making them a perfect choice for gardeners seeking beauty without extensive upkeep.
• Erosion Control: The fibrous root system of the Christmas Fern helps to stabilize soil on slopes and embankments, effectively preventing erosion and maintaining the integrity of your landscape.
• Deer Resistant: Generally, deer tend to leave Christmas Ferns untouched, which is a significant advantage in areas where deer browsing is a concern, allowing your plants to flourish undisturbed.
• Drought Tolerance: While they prefer consistent moisture, established Christmas Ferns show good tolerance to periods of drought, adding to their resilience and ease of care.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Christmas Ferns bare root plants is straightforward, especially when you understand their natural preferences. These resilient ferns are well-suited to a variety of conditions but thrive best when their basic needs for light, water, and soil are met. Upon arrival, your 20 bare roots will be ready for planting. Dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots comfortably and deep enough so the crown of the plant is at soil level. Gently spread the roots, backfill with soil, and water thoroughly.

Sunlight requirements: The Polystichum Acrostichoides prefers partial to full shade. It naturally grows on forest floors where it receives dappled sunlight or deep shade. Avoid direct, harsh afternoon sun, which can scorch its delicate fronds. A location with morning sun and afternoon shade, or filtered light all day, is ideal for this native perennial fern. When planting your shade garden fern, consider the light patterns throughout the day and year.

Watering schedule and soil moisture preferences: Christmas Ferns prefer consistently moist, but not waterlogged, soil. Water regularly after planting to help establish the bare roots. Once established, they are somewhat drought-tolerant but will perform best with regular moisture, especially during dry spells. Ensure good drainage to prevent root rot. Soil type and drainage requirements: These ferns thrive in rich, organic, well-draining soil. Amend heavy clay soils with compost or other organic matter to improve drainage and fertility. A slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0) is generally preferred. Temperature range and USDA hardiness zone: Christmas Ferns are remarkably cold-hardy, typically thriving in USDA Zones 3-9. They can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, making them a versatile evergreen fern plant for many regions. Fertilization schedule and type: Generally, Christmas Ferns do not require heavy fertilization. An annual application of a balanced, slow-release organic fertilizer in spring can be beneficial, especially in poorer soils. Avoid over-fertilizing, which can harm the plant. Common problems and solutions: These ferns are relatively pest and disease-free. The most common issue is yellowing fronds, often due to too much sun or insufficient moisture. Adjusting the planting location or watering schedule usually resolves this. Deer tend to avoid them, making them a great choice for areas with wildlife.

Size & Details

This offering includes 20 Christmas Ferns bare root plants, providing a substantial quantity for creating a significant groundcover or adding multiple accents to your landscape. Each bare root is harvested fresh per order, ensuring optimal health and vitality upon arrival. The plants are shipped without foliage or pots, focusing on the strong, viable root system that will quickly establish in your garden. Once mature, Polystichum Acrostichoides typically grows to a height of 1-3 feet and spreads 1-2 feet wide, forming attractive, clumping mounds of foliage. The growth rate is moderate, and you can expect noticeable development within the first growing season.

These native perennial fern specimens are perfect for naturalizing, mass plantings, or as individual specimens in a woodland or shade garden fern setting. They are long-lived plants, offering many years of evergreen beauty. The robust nature of the bare roots ensures a higher success rate for establishment, especially when following the included planting instructions. For best results, plant these evergreen fern plant roots as soon as possible after receiving them, ideally in spring or fall.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these Christmas Ferns get? A: Once mature, Christmas Ferns bare root plants typically reach a height of 1 to 3 feet and spread about 1 to 2 feet wide, forming a beautiful, dense clump of evergreen foliage.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Polystichum Acrostichoides is primarily an outdoor plant, thriving in garden settings, particularly in shady, woodland environments. It is a very hardy native perennial fern.
• Q: How much sunlight does the Christmas Fern need? A: This evergreen fern plant prefers partial to full shade. It is crucial to protect it from direct afternoon sun, which can scorch its fronds. It’s an excellent choice for a deep shade garden fern.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, Christmas Ferns are considered low-maintenance plants. Once established, they are quite resilient and require minimal care, making them suitable for gardeners of all experience levels.
• Q: What condition will the bare roots arrive in? A: You will receive 20 healthy bare roots, harvested fresh per order and shipped same day to ensure they arrive in good condition. They will not have foliage or a pot.
• Q: When is the best time to plant Christmas Ferns bare root? A: The ideal times to plant these bare roots are in spring after the last frost or in early fall before the ground freezes, allowing them time to establish before extreme temperatures.
• Q: What type of soil is best for this native perennial fern? A: Christmas Ferns prefer rich, well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter. A slightly acidic to neutral pH is generally ideal for optimal growth.
• Q: Will the Christmas Fern survive winter in my zone? A: Yes, this evergreen fern plant is very cold-hardy, reliably growing in USDA Zones 3-9, meaning it will survive winter in most temperate climates.
• Q: Are Christmas Ferns deer resistant? A: Yes, Christmas Ferns are generally considered deer resistant, which is a great benefit for gardens in areas with deer populations.
• Q: Do these ferns spread aggressively? A: Christmas Ferns are clumping ferns and do not spread aggressively like some other fern varieties. They will slowly expand their clump over time.