# Ladder brake (*Pteris vittata*) The Ladder Brake is a type of fern that grows in many places. It has long, green leaves that look like a ladder. This plant loves to grow in warm, sunny spots and can be found in gardens and forests. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Ladder brake](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pteris_vittata.jpg&width=800) Photo: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pteris_vittata.jpg) ## Appearance The Ladder brake has striking fronds with narrow, bright green leaflets arranged like the rungs of a ladder on dark, sturdy stems. Its distinctive ladder-like pattern helps it stand out from other ferns, creating an elegant, upright appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Polypodiopsida - **Order:** Polypodiales - **Family:** Pteridaceae - **Genus:** Pteris ## Interesting facts - Its common name comes from how its leaves look like ladder rungs. - Ladder brake ferns were first described over 250 years ago! - Some people keep this fern as a houseplant because it's so tough. - This fern is so good at cleaning arsenic, scientists use it to help toxic sites! ## Special abilities - **Arsenic Absorber:** Ladder brake can suck up harmful arsenic from the soil, helping to clean contaminated land and protect other plants. - **Spore Sprinter:** Ladder brake has tiny spores that can travel far on the wind, helping it quickly spread and grow in new places. - **Wall Wanderer:** Ladder brake can grow directly from cracks in walls and rocky cliffs, letting it thrive where few other plants can. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 15-100 cm - **Spread:** 20-50 cm - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Garden Snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — Snails occasionally graze on its fronds. - **Eaten by:** [Leopard Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard-slug) (*Limax maximus*) — Slugs might feed on its leaves in damp areas. - **Symbiotic with:** Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus (*Glomus intraradices*) — Forms helpful root associations for nutrient absorption. - **Symbiotic with:** Soil Bacterium (*Bacillus cereus*) — Some bacteria aid in its arsenic absorption process. ## Traits - [Grass-Like](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grass-like): Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores. - [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. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash your hands after touching plants, just to be safe! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Ladder brake? 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 Ladder brake? 15-100 cm ### How wide does Ladder brake spread? 20-50 cm ### Is Ladder brake edible? No ### Is Ladder brake toxic? None ### What is Ladder brake's lifecycle? Perennial ### Where is Ladder brake usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Convent and Academy of the Visitation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/convent-and-academy-of-the-visitation) — Alabama, US · Campus - [Algiers Point](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/algiers-point) — Louisiana, US · Neighborhood - [Ardsley Park-Chatham Crescent Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ardsley-park-chatham-crescent-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Juliette Gordon Low Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/juliette-gordon-low-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Museum - [Savannah Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/savannah-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Savannah Victorian Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/savannah-victorian-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District [View all places to see Ladder brake](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/ladder-brake) ## 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: [Ladder brake: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ladder-brake)