Phegopteris connectilis (long beech fern)

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Phegopteris spp.

Thelypteridaceae Temperate Northern Hemisphere

Deer Resistant Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterHigh

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Phegopteris spp. is a small genus of deciduous woodland ferns, the beech ferns, found across the cooler temperate forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Plants grow from slender creeping rhizomes and produce triangular fronds 6-24 inches (15-60 cm) long, held more or less horizontally on thin, dark stalks. The fronds are pinnate to twice-cut, soft-textured, and yellow-green, with the lowest pair of pinnae usually angled forward or downward away from the rest of the blade, a feature that helps separate the beech ferns from related groups. The rhizomes creep through leaf litter and humus, so plants spread into open colonies rather than tight clumps. As ferns the genus reproduces by spores, borne in small round sori near the margins on the undersides of fertile fronds. P. connectilis, the northern beech fern, and P. hexagonoptera, the broad beech fern, grow in moist, shaded woodland, on rocky slopes, and along stream banks in cool, humus-rich soil. The genus needs steady moisture and shade and browns at the margins where it dries out or sits in full sun. Fronds die back in autumn and re-emerge from the rhizome in spring.

Native Range

Phegopteris spp. is native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, across North America, Europe, and Asia, mostly in cool, moist forest regions. Species grow in shaded woodland, on rocky slopes, and along streams in humus-rich soil.

Suggested Uses

Phegopteris spp. is grown in woodland and shade gardens, along shaded paths, and at the damp edges of ponds and streams. The creeping habit suits ground-covering drifts under trees and among other shade-loving plants.

How to Identify

Look for triangular, soft, yellow-green fronds held nearly horizontally on slender dark stalks, arising singly along a creeping rhizome rather than in a crown. The lowest pair of leaf divisions usually points forward or downward, away from the rest of the frond. The creeping habit and angled lowest pinnae mark the beech ferns.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height6" - 2'

Width/Spread1' - 3'

Colors

Foliage Colors

yellow green

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

Phegopteris spp. produces no flowers and reproduces by spores. Small round sori form near the frond margins on the undersides of fertile fronds and release spores in summer. New fronds unfurl from the creeping rhizome in spring.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

yellow-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Tolerates up to 4 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

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 6.5(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

loam peat silt

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years to mature colony

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Phegopteris spp. grows in part shade to full shade in cool, consistently moist, humus-rich soil. The genus spreads by slender creeping rhizomes to form open colonies and suits woodland gardens and shaded, damp ground. Plants brown at the frond margins in dry soil or direct sun and need steady moisture through the season. The genus is cold-hardy and dies back to the rhizome in autumn. Few pests trouble the soft foliage. A mulch of leaf litter supports the creeping rhizomes and conserves moisture.

Pruning

Cut or rake away dead fronds in late autumn or before new growth appears in spring. No routine pruning is needed during the season. Spreading rhizomes can be lifted and divided to control or propagate the colony.