Taxonomy

Division:

Pteridophyta | - Ferns

Family:

Polypodiaceae

Genus:

Polypodium

Species:

Polypodium californicum

USDA Symbol:

POCA12

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

40 cm

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Ground Cover:

Yes

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from rhizomes after fire; common in post-fire chaparral and woodland recovery.

Propagation & Germination

Notes:

Fern propagates by spores; spores require moist, shaded conditions and can take months to develop into gametophytes.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI