Cut-leaf Grape Fern
Botrychium dissectum (boh-TRIK-ee-um dy-SEK-tum)
Cutleaf grape fern is an evergreen herbaceous perennial in the Adder’s-tongue family (Ophioglossaceae). It is native to eastern, central, southern regions of the United States, among other places. In North Carolina, it is common in the Piedmont and Mountain regions, but rarely seen in the Coastal Plains. The fern grows in habitats including moist forests, sandy grasslands, wooded ravines, pastures, and the edges of swamps. They tend to favor woodlands with deciduous trees. The genus name, Botrychium , is Greek in origin for botrys , which means "a bunch of grapes." This references the sporangia that are the spore-bearing organs of the plant. The species epithet, dissectum , means "dissected," which refers to the finely divided leaf. The plant prefers partial shade to medium shade and it grows best in moist sandy, loamy soils with decaying organic matter. The fern is difficult to cultivate. They are propagated by their spores, which are very slow to germinate and develop. It may require up to 8 years before the rhizomes and fronds are produced. Cutleaf grape fern grows up 6 to 18 inches tall, and the foliage is medium green in color. The leaves occur at the base of the plant. The fern has a single sterile leaf that is photosynthetic and (typically) a single fertile leaf that is non-photosynthetic. In the fall, the fronds are bright green. During the winter, the foliage is bronze-colored. Plant in a woodland, native, or shade garden. Cutleaf grape fern is resistant to browsing by deer. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. VIDEO Created by NC State Extension's Homegrown series featuring Mark Weathington , Director of JC Raulston Arboretum .
Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 42 attributes.