Overview
Botrypus virginianus is a deciduous woodland fern producing a single frond each year that divides into a broad, horizontally held sterile blade and an erect fertile stalk. The triangular sterile blade is 4-10 inches (10-25 cm) wide, finely divided two or three times into thin segments, and spreads parallel to the ground partway up the stem. From its center rises the fertile sporophore, an erect stalk topped with branched clusters of round, grape-like sporangia that ripen from green to yellow-brown and release spores in early summer. The whole plant stands 6-24 inches (15-60 cm) tall and emerges in spring, withering by late summer or autumn. It grows in rich, moist deciduous woodland and shaded slopes, where it depends on soil fungi and rarely survives transplanting. Its range circles the Northern Hemisphere across North America, Europe, and Asia. Because it relies on undisturbed humus-rich soil, it is uncommon in cultivation and sparse where forests are degraded.
Native Range
Botrypus virginianus has a circumboreal range across North America, Europe, and Asia, reaching from Canada south through much of the United States. It grows in rich, moist deciduous and mixed woodland.Suggested Uses
Grown in shaded native woodland and fern gardens with rich, undisturbed soil. It suits naturalistic plantings rather than borders or containers because of its fungal needs. It is placed among other woodland species in dappled shade.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6" - 2'
Width/Spread6" - 1'
Reaches mature size in approximately 4 years
Bloom Information
Ferns do not flower. Botrypus virginianus releases spores from the erect fertile stalk in early summer, the round sporangia ripening from green to yellow-brown. The whole frond emerges in spring and withers by late summer or autumn.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Tolerates up to 3 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight