Common Polypody

Description

Common polypody (Polypodium vulgare) is a UK native evergreen fern valued for its leathery foliage and ability to thrive in shady places. It is commonly found growing in woodlands, on the bases of trees, in cracks in rocks, and along walls, where its creeping rhizomes slowly spread to form loose colonies. This resilient garden fern is well-suited to shaded and semi-shaded locations, including rock gardens and vertical plantings, and provides year-round green structure in naturalistic settings.

How to Identify

Polypodium vulgare has arching, leathery fronds that remain green throughout the year. Each frond is made up of smooth-edged leaflets arranged alternately along a central stem. The undersides of mature fronds are marked with round, orange-brown spore cases, giving a distinctive pimply appearance. Fronds arise individually from creeping rhizomes rather than forming dense clumps, helping to distinguish it from other woodland ferns.

How to Grow

This evergreen fern prefers partial shade to full shade and grows best in moist but well-drained soil, including loamy or sandy soils rich in organic matter. Once established, Common polypody tolerates dry shade better than many ferns and requires very little maintenance. It can be planted in shaded borders, woodland gardens, rock gardens, or allowed to naturalise on walls and tree bases, where it will gradually spread without becoming invasive.