Licorice Fern
Polypodium glycyrrhiza
Also listed as Polypodium aleuticum, Polypodium falcatum
Climate Match for your location
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A low-growing evergreen fern with sweetly scented rhizomes, native to the Pacific Northwest. It forms attractive spreading colonies in shaded, moist woodland conditions.
Why grow it
Licorice fern offers a fine-textured ground cover alternative to more aggressive spreaders in shaded woodland gardens. Its sweetly aromatic rhizomes provide a sensory element uncommon in native ferns, and the evergreen foliage supplies year-round interest where many deciduous ferns die back. It tolerates the moist, humus-rich conditions typical of Pacific Northwest forests without requiring the coddling that some ornamental ferns demand.
Watch out for
This fern spreads steadily through rhizomes and may eventually fill available space more vigorously than initially expected in ideal conditions. Performance declines noticeably in hot, dry sites or in areas with poor air circulation, which can invite fungal issues on the fronds.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Polypodiaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, British Columbia)
Native to: Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
Seasonality
Season of Interest
Ground cover
Low spreading plants that carpet the soil.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
A low-growing evergreen fern with sweetly scented rhizomes, native to the Pacific Northwest. It forms attractive spreading colonies in shaded, moist woodland conditions.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Licorice Fern grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Licorice fern offers a fine-textured ground cover alternative to more aggressive spreaders in shaded woodland gardens. Its sweetly aromatic rhizomes provide a sensory element uncommon in native ferns, and the evergreen foliage supplies year-round interest where many deciduous ferns die back. It tolerates the moist, humus-rich conditions typical of Pacific Northwest forests without requiring the coddling that some ornamental ferns demand.
Watch out for
This fern spreads steadily through rhizomes and may eventually fill available space more vigorously than initially expected in ideal conditions. Performance declines noticeably in hot, dry sites or in areas with poor air circulation, which can invite fungal issues on the fronds.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Polypodiaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, British Columbia)
Native to: Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
Seasonality
Season of Interest
Ground cover
Low spreading plants that carpet the soil.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Similar ground covers you might consider:
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