leathery polypody
Polypodium scouleri
USDA zones8 to 10
SunHandles partial sun to full shade
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size12 inches tall1 to 3 feet wide
- Habit
- Herb , fern
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Not applicable
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Notes
Leathery polypody (Polypodium scouleri) is a fern for borders, containers, and ground cover. It is hardy to USDA zone 8, or down to 10°F (-12°C). This plant likes part sun to full shade and average to moist, sandy, loamy, or chalky soil. The dark evergreen fronds can reach 30 inches long, and the branching rhizomes look good tumbling over rocks and logs. It sits low on the menu for deer.
Pairs well with Ocean spray, Hummingbird sage, and California bee plant.
Native range
CA, OR, and WA; BC.