KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Plant of the Week December 26th 2009 Christmas Fern

Christmas fern

Missouri’s evergreen fern is called Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides). She is a perfect choice for shady doorstep and woodland gardens. More tolerant of fluctuating dry/ moist conditions and clay soil than other ferns, she is the absolute happiest when allowed to put to use her many talents in the average landscape.

A natural conservationist, she is great at protecting the ground from drying out. She prevents soil from washing away and she creates the perfect setting for leaf composting and wildlife support. Especially song birds, who instinctively know to look under her pinwheel blanket for food!

Christmas fern is adaptable. She is well suited for the easy life in a cultivated shade garden but she also does well as a work horse when stabilizing the sloped sides of shady rain gardens or natural stream banks.

A Missouri native, she is use to normal wet / dry season cycles. So she looks good as long as she has moisture periodically and the drainage is good. She is very drought tolerant once established.

She does change her posture significantly through the season. In the spring, her last season’s growth, still green, hugs the ground as the new growth emerges from the center like a silvery fist. Gradually the core cluster of leaflets becomes individualized. Each frond independently unfurls, reaching skyward and maturing to apple green.

By mid-summer, the frilly fronds have all stretched to their max and have started to relax and bend outward. This creates a casual bouquet of sword shaped leaves. Finally, Autumn signals Christmas fern, now a deep forest green, to hug the ground like a blanket to warm and protect the decomposing leaves. These reclining fronds, still green, stand out in the stark winter landscape providing color and interest in the cold.

Christmas fern is never aggressive in the landscape. She holds her place and just extends her reach gradually over time. She provides an important habitat role by protecting the soil from wind, drying out, or washing away. This assists with process of natural leaf composting and habitat support for insect feeding song birds. She is a preferred nesting site for turkeys and usually quite deer resistant!

Care Factor Rating: 1 (She must be watered regularly till established but is very drought tolerant.) Very little care is required unless used in a very tidy landscape. For a manicured look, manage mature plants once annually in early spring and growth cycle begins but before crown growth becomes pronounced. Do this by lifting last season’s growth together and trim just above crown height. Be careful not to damage the crown while handling as it is very soft and tender at this time.

Note removal of the old growth reduces ground protection for wildlife and is not necessary in an informal setting. Divide in the spring after new growth extends. Division is not necessary unless greater spacing is desired or for propagation. When dividing, it is best if entire clump is lifted, divided and reset in the ground. Re-establishment is same as transplanting care. Adequate water must be provided during root trauma. This includes planting, transplanting and re-establishment. Do not drought stress until established. Many plants appear most balanced if the height and width are somewhat equal. When including this fern in a design, consider leaving a 2’ minimum footprint.

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Week of Dec 12 2009 Capitata Yew

Salute Japanese yew (Taxus) as a worthy addition to the water smart landscape! ‘Capitata’ translated means “Captain" The dictitionary defines captain as “a figure in the forefront; a leader”. This is a perfect definition for this classic landscape standard that is once again being called to serve on the front lines in our battle for wise water use.

The Captain is both duty and conservation oriented. He prefers no more water than average water and once established, he can survive on extended periods of water rationing if necessary.

He has endured grooming torture to the max. He has been taken well beyond the “High and Tight” military standard for hair cuts to extreme makeovers including fanciful topiary’s strictest manicure regime. However, the truth is he craves the opportunity to "grow out on a limb" and show off his personal best which includes his soft but natural good looks.

The Captain is a yew that can stretch tall, well beyond the confined box space or ball shape he is usually allotted. His branches have a natural arch to them, giving him an overall gentle layered appearance. He grows Chritmas tree- like when he is young with a broad base that gradually tapers toward the top. He usually has a single main trunck. Left on his own, he naturally spreads and rounds out. His potential height could easily exceed 20’. This offers an opportunity to really see his handsome bark that lies beneath his green exterior.

Once he reaches a mature size (optimization at its best) consider the impact of removing some of his lower branches to create a living shade structure. Depending on location, and placement, this could create a great evergreen umbrella that cast an amazingly uniform and cooling shade!

Although not native to USA, this yew has proven himself to be a good American Ally. He is noninvasive, energy conscious if not over pruned and very native plant community compatible. He is also habitat friendly. His fleshy red fruits are tasty to song birds but toxic to humans and livestock. He is also frequently listed as "deer resistant." The evergreen foliage provides protection and shelter and can be a valuable part of a habitat corridor for wildlife.

He does tolerate shade and is frequently the preferred choice for an evergreen for shady conditions. In his native setting he prefers quick draining sandy loams. He has no tolerance for soggy soils. This can be fatal!

He likes the city life / urban conditions where soil fertility is average, pH fairly neutral and there is wind break protection from drying winter winds.

Care Factor Rating: 2 Japanese Yew ‘Capitata’ (Taxus cuspidata ‘Capitata’) must be watered regularly but not excessively till established. It is considered best to plant him in the fall or late spring.

Minimize any pruning till he is well established. Envision the natural plant shape. Selectively cut back only out-of-place branches and random shoots. Cut at the branch node with hand pruners. This will help preserve the natural outline. Do not cut all branches back to the same length or the natural shape of the plant will be lost. Damaged or dead branch can be removed any time of the year.

If hedge pruning is done, minimize scorch by pruning after the new growth turns mature green (this is usually early June in Missouri.) If done too late the newly exposed foliage tends to get sun scorched.

This very hardy shade tolerant yew does not have any really serious insect or disease problems. He is great looking whether in the sun or the shade. However, if planted in unprotected sites there is a potential for winter sun burn or wind burn if he is overly exposed. Root rot will occur if a yew is planted in poorly-drained soils.