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| Category: Fern |
| Family: Polypodiaceae (Common Ferns) |
| Origin: Asia, Central (Asia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: NA |
| Bloomtime: Not Significant |
| Height: 2-3 feet |
| Width: 2-3 feet |
| Exposure: Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 20-25° F |
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Microlepia strigosa (Lace Fern) - This delicate looking yet sturdy medium-sized fern forms dense clumps 2-3 feet tall that expand slowly by rhizomes. Its leaf blades start a light color and age to medium green and are two feet long by one foot wide with the arching then nodding fronds divided twice (bipinnate). It does best in light shade or morning sun with regular to occasional irrigation - surprisingly water thrifty for a fern and in our coastal garden only gets infrequent irrigation (once every 4 to 6 weeks) during summer months. It is hardy to 20°F and was unharmed in our historic 1990 cold spell when temperatures dipped to 18° F for a short duration - listed as useful to USDA Zone 6 if given some protection. Give occasional grooming or an annual trimming to remove old fronds. This is a great fern to fill in between shrubs as a foundation planting in the dry shade garden. Lace Fern is native to the Himalayas, Sri Lanka, and from southeastern Asia to Japan and Polynesia. The name for the genus comes from the Greek words 'mikros' meaning "small" and 'lepis' meaning "scale" in reference to the small scale-like indusia (structure covering the spores) and the specific epithet comes from the Latin word 'strigos' meaning bristles.
Information displayed on this page about Microlepia strigosa is based on the research conducted about it in our library and from reliable online resources. We also note those observations we have made of this plant as it grows in the nursery's garden and in other gardens, as well how crops have performed in our nursery field. We will incorporate comments we receive from others, and welcome to hear from anyone who may have additional information, particularly if they share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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