Anderson's Holly Fern, Polystichum andersonii

FERN LORE:  Anderson's Holy Fern is thought to be one of the hybrids of Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum), though which fern it hybridized with to produce andersonii is not known.  A very fine looking fern found, in appropriate habitat, throughout the Pacific Northwest, it is not commonly cultivated. 

CULTIVATION:  A fern of the forest floor, it likes rich humus or leaf-mould mixed liberally with stones.  Keep it moist with limited sun exposure. It is easy to grow but will not do well in sunny spots where moisture is inconsistent.  

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 This fern was given to me by my father when it was little more than an inch wide.  The image above shows it's fourth flush of fronds. The parent of this fern was collected in the heart of Garfield Mountain at 2100'.  On the south side of Mt. Rainier, beside the path to the Grove of the Patriarchs, a small group of Anderson's Holly ferns grow fronds five feet in length. 

Thumbnail 1 is the fern with it's second flush of fronds, the third on it's way.  Thumbnail 2 is an andersonii at the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden and is unusual for having developed a 5 inch trunk.