Whisk Fern is a perennial, evergreen, fern-like plant, native to North Carolina as well as a good part of the tropical and sub-tropical world. At maturity, the stems rise 20 inches high supporting yellow sporangia balls. This plant is prized as a rare primitive vascular plant, thus lacking many of the typical features, such as roots, leaves and flowers, of modern-day vascular plants. The species name means naked in Latin, because the plant appears to lack most of the organs of typical plants. Whisk Fern does best sited in full sun or partial shade, in humusy, moist and well-drained soil. Whisk Fern can grow on the ground (terrestrial) or grow on another plant (epiphytic). Note that, when growing as epiphytic, the plant does not draw food or water from its host. Stems are erect when terrestrial, and are often pendulous when epiphytic and branching (dichotomous). The branches are numerous and triangular. The plant can spread by means of rhizomes, but does not set roots. They are often found as weeds in the nursery industry and can become a noxious weed in greenhouses. Diseases, Insect Pests, and other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Ascending; Erect
Leaf shape
Subulate
Leaf size
< 1 inch long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The leaves are greatly reduced, leaf-like enations that are remote, triangular-subulate, and much less than in inch long.
Flower detail
This is a non-flowering plant that reproduces by spores.
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow
Fruit detail
Does not produce fruits, produces spores in a yellow, spherical sac. The sac, or sporangia, is in three parts, and unites to form a synangium that is yellow or tinged brown.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Stems are branching and triangular.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southern USA, Central and South America, Africa, and Far East.