tongue fern
Pyrrosia lingua
USDA zones8 to 10
SunHandles partial sun or full shade
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size12 to 24 inches tall2 to 3 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Habit
- Creeping
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Foliage color
- Brown/copper, gray/silver, green, white
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Notes
Tongue fern (Pyrrosia lingua) is a fern for shade gardens, ground cover, and rock gardens. 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 soil of most types. The evergreen fronds keep their color through winter. Deer and rabbits tend to pass it by. Once settled, it is drought tolerant and creeps slowly.
Pairs well with Fragrant Bouquet hosta, Pittosporum, and Sedge.
Native range
China to Indo-China, South Korea, and Nansei-shoto to Taiwan.