• Photo of Woodwardia virginica (Woodwardia virginicas)

Plant Profile: Woodwardia virginica

Taxonomy: Woodwardia virginica

Names

Virginia Chain Fern

  • Photo of Woodwardia virginica (Woodwardia virginicas)

Phonetic Spelling:wood-WAR-dee-ah ver-JIN-ih-kah

Genus:Woodwardia

Species:virginica

Family:Blechnaceae

Woodwardia virginica, widely recognized as Virginia Chain Fern, thrives in naturally moist, acidic soils rich in organic matter. This fern typically flourishes in environments such as bogs, wetlands, and occasionally in coastal plain ponds that experience flooding. For optimal growth, it is best to plant it in damp areas adjacent to bogs, streams, ponds, or water gardens. It can adapt to a range of light conditions, from full sun to shade, and prefers sandy to humus-rich acidic soil. This plant is not only easy to cultivate but also spreads quickly.

Woodwardia virginica Feature Summary

Woodwardia virginica Image Gallery

Tags

#deciduous
#water garden
#easy to grow
#shade tolerant
#weedy
#fern
#wetlands
#wet sites
#food source
#aggressive
#deer resistant
#ponds
#food source summer
#Coastal OBL
#food source herbage
#Piedmont Mountains FACW
#colonial
#bog gardens
#audubon
#woodlands
#heavy shade tolerant

Similar Plants

Woodwardia virginica Feature Summary

Attributes
Primarily used for shelter.
Eastern United States and Canada
Perennial
Fruit
No fruits. This plants reproduces via spores.
Flowers
Leaves
Lustrous, dark green, leathery fronds in a close mass; broadest in middle; pinnate-pinnatifid; alternating pairs of closely spaced pinnae; short blunt lobes; pinnule are narrow, point upward, and taper at both ends; rachis is dark purple brown below. Fronds emerge coppery red in color.
Green
Brown/Copper
Red/Burgundy
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Alternate
Other/more complex
Lanceolate
Leathery
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
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)
Acid (<6.0)
Moist
Occasionally Wet
Occasionally Dry
Occasional Flooding
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
10a
10b
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Stem
Brown/Copper
Purple/Lavender
Green
Landscape
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Deer
Wet Soil
Heavy Shade
Woodland
Riparian
Pond
Songbirds
Small Mammals

Woodwardia virginica Attributes

Woodwardia virginica: Uses (Ethnobotany)

Primarily used for shelter.

Woodwardia virginica: Country Or Region Of Origin

North America

Woodwardia virginica: Distribution

Eastern United States and Canada

Woodwardia virginica: Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)

Heavy shade, Deer

Woodwardia virginica: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Woodwardia virginica Fruit

Woodwardia virginica: Fruit Description

No fruits. This plants reproduces via spores.

Woodwardia virginica Flowers

Woodwardia virginica: Flower Description

no flower.

Woodwardia virginica Leaves

Woodwardia virginica: Leaf Description

Lustrous, dark green, leathery fronds in a close mass; broadest in middle; pinnate-pinnatifid; alternating pairs of closely spaced pinnae; short blunt lobes; pinnule are narrow, point upward, and taper at both ends; rachis is dark purple brown below. Fronds emerge coppery red in color.

Woodwardia virginica: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Woodwardia virginica: Leaf Color

spa
Brown/Copper
spa
Green
spa
Red/Burgundy

Woodwardia virginica: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Woodwardia virginica: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Woodwardia virginica: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Woodwardia virginica: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Woodwardia virginica: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Woodwardia virginica: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Woodwardia virginica Whole Plant Traits

Woodwardia virginica: 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

Woodwardia virginica: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Woodwardia virginica: 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

Woodwardia virginica: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Woodwardia virginica: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Woodwardia virginica: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Woodwardia virginica Cultural Conditions

Woodwardia virginica: 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)

Woodwardia virginica: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Woodwardia virginica: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Woodwardia virginica: 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

Woodwardia virginica: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Woodwardia virginica: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
10a
thermostat
10b
thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Woodwardia virginica: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Woodwardia virginica Stem

Woodwardia virginica: Stem Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Green
grass
Purple/Lavender

Woodwardia virginica: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Woodwardia virginica Landscape

Woodwardia virginica: 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

Woodwardia virginica: 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

Woodwardia virginica: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Woodwardia virginica: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees

Woodwardia virginica: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy