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Species library › Polypodium › Polypodium appalachianum
Ferns Well documented

Polypodium appalachianum

A small, fully hardy evergreen polypody of eastern North America that creeps over mossy boulders, ledges and cliffs in deciduous and mixed forest. It needs a real winter, so it is best grown outdoors or in a cold frame, in shade, on a lean, airy surface that stays lightly moist.

Polypodium appalachianum
Photo: Jaknouse, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Dappled lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Mats on moss-covered rock outcrops, boulders, cliff ledges and occasionally tree bases in temperate hardwood and mixed forest, often on acidic rock.

Recorded from near sea level to the higher Appalachians; median about 580 m.

AlabamaConnecticutDistrict of ColumbiaGeorgiaKentuckyMaineMarylandMassachusettsNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew YorkNewfoundlandNorth CarolinaNova ScotiaOhio

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.