# Christmas fern (*Polystichum acrostichoides*) The Christmas fern is a lovely green plant that stays green all winter! It has long, feathery leaves that look like little hands reaching out. This fern is a great friend to many forest animals. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 129 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Christmas fern](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Christmas_Fern_Polystichum_acrostichoides_Plant_2000px.JPG&width=800) Photo: Photo (c)2006 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ), CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christmas_Fern_Polystichum_acrostichoides_Plant_2000px.JPG) ## Appearance The Christmas fern has glossy, dark green fronds that remain evergreen through winter, unlike many deciduous ferns. Its unique leaflets are earlobe-shaped, often said to resemble tiny Christmas stockings. These leathery fronds grow in a vase-like cluster. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Polypodiopsida - **Order:** Polypodiales - **Family:** Dryopteridaceae - **Genus:** Polystichum ## Interesting facts - Christmas ferns can grow directly on rocks, using small crevices to anchor their roots. - Each frond can live over a year, slowly replaced by new ones for constant green. - Its fronds resemble miniature Christmas stockings, giving this fern its festive name! - This fern is a living relic, with ancestors dating back hundreds of millions of years! ## Special abilities - **Fiddlehead Future:** Its new fronds emerge as tightly coiled 'fiddleheads' that slowly unroll into mature, elegant leaves. - **Spore Power:** Instead of seeds, Christmas ferns reproduce using tiny spores found on the undersides of their fronds. - **Soil Shield:** This fern helps protect forest soil from erosion with its dense network of roots and fronds, especially on slopes. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-75 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer browse on its fronds. - **Eaten by:** [Eastern cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) — Rabbits may eat its young fiddleheads. - **Shelter:** [Eastern Red-backed Salamander](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-red-backed-salamander) (*Plethodon cinereus*) — Salamanders hide among its dense fronds. ## Traits - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Cold Hardy](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cold-hardy): Cold hardy plants are able to withstand low temperatures and freezing conditions without significant damage. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't eat any plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Christmas fern? Compare frond shape, how the leaflets are arranged, the stalk, and any spore clusters you can see. A single detached leaflet often hides the plant's overall growth pattern. Fern Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Christmas fern? 30-75 cm ### How wide does Christmas fern spread? 30-60 cm ### Is Christmas fern edible? Yes ### Is Christmas fern toxic? None ### What is Christmas fern's lifecycle? Perennial ### Where is Christmas fern usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Abbott Farm Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/abbott-farm-historic-district) — New Jersey, US · Historic District - [Anderson University](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-university) — South Carolina, US · Campus - [Arnold Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arnold-arboretum) — Massachusetts, US · Botanical Garden - [Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arrowmont-school-of-arts-and-crafts) — Tennessee, US · Campus - [Audubon Place Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/audubon-place-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Bald Eagle State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bald-eagle-state-forest) — Pennsylvania, US · Forest [View all places to see Christmas fern](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/christmas-fern) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Christmas fern: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/christmas-fern)