Cystopteris fragilis: Country Or Region Of Origin
Entire Northern Hemisphere and parts of Southern Hemisphere
Plant Profile: Cystopteris fragilis
Taxonomy: Cystopteris fragilisNames
Brittle Bladder Fern, Fragile Fern
Phonetic Spelling:sis-TOP-ter-is FRAJ-ih-liss
Genus:Cystopteris
Species:fragilis
Family:Aspleniaceae
This fern is commonly found throughout the United States and is simple to grow. It thrives in limed soil and has a compact rhizome with a spreading growth habit. It prefers partial to full shade and may go dormant in dry conditions, but it bounces back effectively after rainfall. It can sometimes be located in wetland areas.
Cystopteris fragilis Feature Summary
Cystopteris fragilis Image Gallery
Tags
#deciduous
#shade tolerant
#shade garden
#fern
#wetlands
#moist soil
#NC native
#deer resistant
#alkaline soil tolerant
#rocky soils tolerant
#heavy shade tolerant
Similar Plants
Cystopteris fragilis is often confused with:
Cystopteris fragilis Feature Summary
Attributes
Entire Northern Hemisphere and parts of Southern Hemisphere
Heavy shade, Deer
Perennial
Fruit
No fruits. This plants reproduces via spores.
Flowers
No flowers.
Leaves
Leaves are long narrowly-pointed, twice pinnate, and have fleshy petioles with round sori on the underside
Deciduous
Broadleaf Evergreen
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
> 6 inches
Whole Plant Traits
Herbaceous Perennial
Native Plant
Fern
Deciduous
Broadleaf Evergreen
Clumping
Cultural Conditions
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Occasionally Wet
Frequent Standing Water
12 inches-3 feet
Shallow Rocky
Stem
Landscape
Native Garden
Shade Garden
Deer
Wet Soil
Heavy Shade
Cystopteris fragilis Image Gallery
Cystopteris fragilis Attributes
Cystopteris fragilis: Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)
Heavy shade, Deer
Cystopteris fragilis: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Cystopteris fragilis Fruit
Cystopteris fragilis: Fruit Description
No fruits. This plants reproduces via spores.
Cystopteris fragilis Flowers
Cystopteris fragilis: Flower Description
No flowers.
Cystopteris fragilis Leaves
Cystopteris fragilis: Leaf Description
Leaves are long narrowly-pointed, twice pinnate, and have fleshy petioles with round sori on the underside
Cystopteris fragilis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Cystopteris fragilis: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Cystopteris fragilis: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Cystopteris fragilis: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Cystopteris fragilis Whole Plant Traits
Cystopteris fragilis: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Cystopteris fragilis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Cystopteris fragilis: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Cystopteris fragilis Cultural Conditions
Cystopteris fragilis: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Cystopteris fragilis: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Cystopteris fragilis: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Cystopteris fragilis: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Cystopteris fragilis: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Cystopteris fragilis Stem
Cystopteris fragilis: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Cystopteris fragilis Landscape
Cystopteris fragilis: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Cystopteris fragilis: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
