Christmas ferns, they're just simple woodland shade plants, right? Wrong! Turns out, we’ve been taking this green-leafed plant for granted for quite some time. Said to gain its name from pioneers using the long evergreen leaves to make Christmas wreaths, these plants, known officially as Polystichum acrostichoides, are one of the most common ferns in North America — chances are your yard may already be home to a Christmas fern!
They're extremely versatile, too, and with the right fern care, these plants will flourish beautifully. Perfectly happy in a variety of soil preferences and extremely hardy, this plant can thrive all over the country and is excellent for shaded ground cover. Plus, while other ferns die back in winter and lose their green fronds, Christmas Ferns keep their glossy green leaves and add a somewhat tropical vibe to gardens at this time of year, thanks to their unique leaf shape!
