Woodfern

Dryopteris × boottii

Woodfern

Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 1: 22. Courtesy of Kentucky Native Plant Society. Scanned by Omnitek Inc.

Taxonomy

Division:
Pteridophyta | - Ferns
Family:
Polypodiaceae
Genus:
Dryopteris
Species:
Dryopteris × boottii

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
2-3 ft
Light Requirements:
Part Shade
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Colors:
Not Applicable

Native Range

United States: Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Canada: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★★★★★ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
good drainage preferred
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
prefers shaded woodland environments

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Cold-moist stratification for 60 days.

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o