Overview

Polypodium vulgare 'Longicaudatum' is a fern in the genus Polypodium, part of the Polypodiaceae family. It typically grows around 0.3 m tall. Polypodium vulgare 'Longicaudatum' grows best in full shade, and tolerates most soils. Its UK hardiness is rated H7. It is native to Belgium, Flemish Region and Walloon Region.

About

Polypodium vulgare 'Longicaudatum' is a fern in the Polypodiaceae that favours shaded sites and reaches about 0.3 m. It tolerates a wide range of soils — sandy, loamy or clay — provided they remain well drained yet retain some moisture. The cultivar is hardy in UK gardens and also suited to USDA zones 3–6. Planting in deep shade will suit its light requirements.

Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Polypodium vulgare

About the genus

Polypodium is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Polypodioideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). The genus is widely distributed throughout the world, with the highest species diversity in the tropics. The name is derived from Ancient Greek poly ("many") + podion, on account of the foot-like appearance of the rhizome and its branches.

Wikipedia contributors, "Polypodium", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Polypodium

In the garden

Polypodium vulgare 'Longicaudatum' is a fern from the Polypodiaceae native to Belgium, recorded in both the Flemish and Walloon Regions. As a garden plant it occupies a modest stature at roughly 0.3 m, making it appropriate where lower-growing shade plants are required. Give it full shade and a soil that is well drained but kept reliably moist; it performs on sandy, loamy and clay soils so long as water does not sit around the roots. In UK hardiness terms it is H7, fully hardy through the British climate, and it also falls within USDA hardiness zones 3–6, so it withstands cold winters where those zones apply. Use Polypodium vulgare 'Longicaudatum' in deeply shaded borders, beneath trees or alongside north-facing walls where light is limited and soils remain damp but not waterlogged. It occupies a consistent, low height and can be combined with other shade-tolerant perennials and groundcovers to fill low-level space. Expect plants to reach about 0.3 m high when established.

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Polypodium

Sunlight

Full shade

Soil type

Sandy, Loamy, Clay

Soil moisture

Well-drained, Moist but well-drained

UK hardiness

H7

Plant details

Polypodium vulgare 'Longicaudatum' size, habit and characteristics

Plant type

Fern

Height

0.3 m

Native to

Belgium, Flemish Region, Walloon Region

Frequently asked questions