Polypodium vulgare
Common polypody
Common names: Common polypody fern, Rock polypody, Wall polypody
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −30 °C
- Water need
- Low
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: 4028mdk09 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Polypodium vulgare, the common polypody, is a small, evergreen fern with leathery, deeply divided fronds that grow 10 to 35 cm tall. It creeps along with a thick rhizome on or just below the surface over rocks, wall tops, tree roots, and mossy branches, gradually forming mats. It owes its name to the round spore clusters that appear in two rows on the undersides of the fronds in late summer, looking like dots. In the wild it grows in shaded, lime-poor woodlands, on rocks, and on old walls. In the garden it is an undemanding groundcover for dry walls, rock piles, tree bases, and shaded rock gardens, and it stays green through winter. It spreads slowly and can be cut back easily.
Care instructions
Plant the common polypody in April or September in a partly shaded to fully shaded spot without harsh sun, such as the north side of a dry stone wall, a shaded rock garden, or under shrubs. Lay the rhizome flat on the soil or in a crevice and cover it only thinly with leaf mould or grit, since if buried deeply it rots easily. In the first year, water regularly so it establishes; later it manages on rainfall and survives dry weeks. No fertilizing or pruning is needed, and brown fronds can be removed at ground level as needed. Common mistakes include planting too deeply, heavy wet soil, and harsh midday sun. If it spreads too far, simply cut off the edges. In a container, use a shallow dish with a drainage hole and lean soil.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, humus-rich, lean, lime-avoiding
Common polypody is a master of making do with little. It grows on free-draining, nutrient-poor soil, best in a thin layer of humus between stones, on top of walls, in rock crevices or between tree roots. Heavy, wet or heavily fertilised soil does not suit it. It prefers low-lime to slightly acidic soil; a mix of leaf mould, sand and grit comes close to its natural habitat. What matters is that the creeping rootstock can spread flat near the surface.
Feeding
Light feeder
Common polypody needs no fertiliser; it is adapted to barren sites and gets by on what leaves and dust deliver in the crevices. Nutrient-rich soil and compost do not suit it. In a container it is enough to replace the top layer of soil with fresh, poor soil in spring every few years.
Overwintering
Common polypody is evergreen and fully hardy. Its leathery fronds stay standing over winter and give colour when little else is going on in the bed. In the bed and on the wall you need to do nothing. In a container, put the pot against a sheltered wall and water sparingly on frost-free days, so that the root ball does not dry out completely, but does not stand wet either.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- From seed
The easiest way is to divide common polypody: in April or September, separate a piece of the creeping rootstock with at least one frond and some roots. Lay it flat on poor, humus-rich soil or between stones and press it down lightly; you must not bury it deep. Keep it evenly, lightly moist in the first year. Spores ripen from August to September on the undersides of the fronds. You can scatter them on moist, poor soil and cover them, but you have to wait a long time for small plants; division is much quicker.
For your garden
Grow Common polypody yourself
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