Ziva sez she admits she has been oh so far behind on making her Ziva’s Flora Fav posts. She sez she’s gonna try her best to post more often.
Today her favorite native plant is the beautiful Southern Shield fern, Thelypteris kunthii.
Thelypteris kunthii has quite a few common names that it goes by: Southern Shield Fern, Wood Fern, River Fern, Kunth’s Maiden Fern, Widespread Maiden Fern, and Normal Shield Fern. It’s been verified by the Atlas of Florida Plants website to have been found growing in the wild in all but five of Florida’s 67 counties, which means it grows fine in all of Florida.
This deciduous fern has gracefully arching fronds that are lime to medium-green in color. It quickly grows 2 – 4 feet tall and wide. As it starts to die back in the winter the fronds turn a pretty bronze color. In warmer winters I’ve seen them hold onto some of their fronds instead of dying all the way back. But don’t expect them to look lush and full in those warmer winters.
Here’s a picture of the ones I have in stock now on 12/12/2024. We’ve already been through temps down to 29 degrees, so that’s why some of the edges are showing the winter bronzing on them.
As usual with most ferns, Southern Shield wants to be planted in the part shade / shade areas of your garden. Its foliage will burn in too much sun. Filtered sun is fine, as is some direct morning sun. But it does not like direct afternoon summer sun. Its native habitat is in mesic hammocks, shallow swamps, swamp edges, floodplains, and ditches. It obviously likes those moist, well drained areas. Is a perfect choice for your rain garden, swampy, and boggy areas. It tolerates standing water for short periods of time. Grows great in loamy, lime rock, loamy clay, or sandy soils. Pure clay soil is usually either too dry or not well drained enough for it. Southern shield fern is not considered drought tolerant, so give it supplemental water during long periods of drought.
With its large fronds, Southern Shield fern adds wonderful texture and movement to your shade garden. Keep in mind that they also make a gorgeous statement growing in large containers. These are stunning planted with Eastern Red Columbine, Indian Pinks, Woodland Phlox, and Golden Alexanders.
Have you ever looked at the underside of a fern frond? On fertile fronds, you’ll see clusters of spores, called sori, growing there. Those sori are how the ferns reproduce. As the sori mature, they turn a deep brown or black color. They also spread by rhizomes.
If your fern clump gets too big or starts dying out in the middle, it can easily be divided. Dig it up, chop it in half or quarters, and, viola, you have new plants. Be sure each section has roots and fronds.
I don’t think of ferns as being deer resistant, but this one is! Another surprising fact is it can handle occasional salt water flooding and has some tolerance to salty wind. It does not like direct salt spray though. So those of you beachside can grow this, just situate it wisely. Always remember “right plant, right place.”
The Seminole Native Americans used this plant to treat insanity (I’m not sure how though). They also used it as an orthopedic aid to treat weakness in the limbs and neck in an illness they called “old paint woman sickness.” A boiled tincture was used to clean and heal open cuts.
I sell this plant in 1-gallon containers, $9 each. They are usually 8 – 24 inches tall. Click here, Southern Shield Fern, to be taken to its description page to place your order. Go buy yourself some, your garden will thank you.
Ziva sez thanks for reading and happy diggin’ in the dirt!
