This fern appreciates good drainage and regular irrigation to look its best but gets by and is still quite attractive with only an occasional watering in coastal gardens. It is root hardy to at least 20° F - this plant was not harmed in our garden during the December 1990 freeze at temperatures around 18° F. New foliage shows best when older fronds are trimmed to the ground, weed whipped or even mowed if the patch is big enough, in late fall to early winter. A great plant for the woodland garden look and pinkish new growth adds color to the typical green of a shade garden. The spread on this plant is slow, only a few inches to a half foot per year, but in time a large bed can be densely covered, making an incredible show in the spring.

This plant has long been identified as Blechnum occidentale, a species native to South America, Mexico and the west Indies but our material, and most in the nursery trade grown as Blechnum occidentale is actually Blechnum appendiculatum, which is native to southeastern US through the American tropics. Barbara Joe Hoshizaki and Robbin C. Moran noted in their Fern Grower's Manual (Timber Press, 2001) that "Blechnum appendiculatum greatly resembles Blechnum occidentale, and cultivated plants have long been misidentified as that species. Blechnum appendiculatum differs, however, by being hairy on the rachis underside." It was previously also known as Blechnum occidentale var. minor.

The name for the genus comes from the Greek word 'blechnon', an ancient name for ferns and the specific epithet is from the Latin word ' appendicula' meaning "appendages" with 'atum', the suffix meaning "likeness" or "with" that is thought to refer to the short glandular hairs on the leaf rachis. The older epithet comes from the Latin 'occidens' meaning "the west" or "sunset" with the suffix 'alis' meaning "of" or "pertaining to" in reference to this plant being native to the west or New World.

We continue to list this outstanding plant as Blechnum occidentale, the name we used since we first started growing it in 1990, but with the notation "Hort." after it to indicate that this is an invalid name used in horticulture. Our thanks to Bernard Acquistapace of Pinata Bella Nursery for first providing this plant to us. We have a very large patch of this plant in our nursery garden and there are nice patches of it near the main pool at Ganna Walska Lotusland Botanic Garden. 

The information displayed on this page about Blechnum occidentale is based on the research we have conducted about it in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant have performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we have received from others and welcome hearing from anyone with information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.