Wisconsin's rare plants

Christmas fern has leaves that are 3-7.5dm, with a green petiole 0.25-0.6 times as long as the blade, which is pinnate, 5-12cm wide, lance-linear, tapering to a sharp point at the tip, and not reduced at the base. It has 20-35 pairs of alternate pinnae, that are linear-oblong, acute, with distinct, ear-shaped appendages at the upper base, dark green and scaleless above, paler and with hair-like scales beneath. The fertile upper pinnae are abruptly smaller. Sori are commonly in 2 rows on each side of the midrib, indusia are thick, entire, and blackish when dry. Its rhizomes are short-creeping.

Rhizomatous. Fruiting occurs mid-May through July.

Perennial. This species can be identified year-round.

Associated species include Acer saccharum, Fagus grandifolia, Tilia americana, Ostrya virginiana, Cicaea alpina, Actaea rubra, Smilacina racemosa, Hepatica acutiloba, Adiantum pedatum, and Botrychium virginianum.

Christmas fern is found in rich, mesic woods with well-drained, circumneutral to subacidic soils.

Avoid broadcast spraying of herbicides and use care with spot spraying.

This species overwinters above ground, meaning that seasonal restrictions like conducting the a project on frozen ground will not result in avoidance. Therefore, known individual plant locations should be avoided year-round. Consult with a biologist, if needed.

This species requires shaded habitat conditions, maintain high forest canopy cover.

Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are associated with habitats (or natural communities) and places on the landscape. Understanding relationships among SGCN, natural communities and ecological landscapes help us make decisions about issues affecting SGCN and their habitat and how to respond. Download the Wildlife Action Plan association score spreadsheet to explore rare species, natural communities and ecological landscape associations

Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.