Polypodium vulgare

Description

Polypodium vulgare – common polypody

Botanical name: Polypodium vulgare
Common names: Common polypody
Family: Polypodiaceae
Plant type: Evergreen fern
Habit: Low, creeping, spreading by rhizomes
Pot size: 3 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 20–30cm tall × spreading
Foliage: Leathery, deeply divided, deep green fronds along a creeping surface rhizome; evergreen
Flowers: None — ferns reproduce by spores, not flowers
Scent: Not scented
Aspect / light: Partial to full shade
Soil: Well-drained, humus-rich; tolerates dry shade and lime; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H7 (very hardy, below −20°C); USDA zones 5–8
Exposure: Sheltered
Native range: Native to Europe including the UK
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Generally considered non-toxic to people and pets

Polypodium vulgare, common polypody, is a tough native evergreen with leathery, deeply divided deep green fronds spreading by creeping rhizomes. Excellent for dry shade, shady walls, banks and tree stumps.

GardenAdvice notes

A tough, adaptable native evergreen fern, common polypody spreads by surface-creeping rhizomes to form a low, weed-suppressing carpet of leathery green fronds. Unusually among ferns it tolerates dry shade, lime and even a degree of drought, and in the wild grows on walls, banks and tree branches, making it invaluable for difficult shady spots.

Growing & planting

Plant in autumn or spring in well-drained, humus-rich soil in partial to full shade, laying the creeping rhizome along the surface and lightly anchoring it rather than burying it. It tolerates dry shade and lime and suits banks, walls, tree stumps and the fronts of shady borders. Space about 30cm apart to spread.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. Keep the soil from drying out, especially while establishing, and mulch with leaf mould in autumn. Remove old, tatty or frost-burnt fronds in early spring before the new growth unfurls. No feeding is usually needed beyond an annual mulch.

Propagation

• Division: Lift and divide the spreading rhizomes or offsets in spring.
• Spores: Can be raised from spores sown on moist, sterile compost, though this is slow and specialised.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free and tough. It tolerates conditions most ferns dislike, including drier shade and lime, and is little troubled by pests or disease.

Uses in the garden

Excellent for dry shade, shady banks and walls, the tops of walls, tree stumps and among tree roots, and as evergreen groundcover where fussier ferns fail

Wildlife value

The fronds and crown provide cover and shelter for small invertebrates through the year.

Toxicity & safety

Ferns are generally regarded as non-toxic to people and pets, though as with all ornamental plants they are not intended for eating.

GardenAdvice tip

Common polypody is the fern to reach for in dry shade, where most ferns give up — it will even grow on a shady wall, bank or old tree stump. It spreads by surface rhizomes, so plant it with the rhizome sitting on top of the soil, lightly anchored, rather than buried, and it will creep along to form an easy, drought-tolerant evergreen carpet.

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