Phegopteris hexagonoptera aka Broad Beech Fern

Phegopteris hexagonoptera is known as broad or southern beech fern. This perennial fern comes from eastern Canada and central and eastern America. It grows in woods, ravines, and on rocky wooded slopes. In Missouri, it occurs mainly in the Ozarks. It sheds its fronds each year and grows new ones in spring. Nurseries may still sell it as Thelypteris hexagonoptera.

Garden plants reach about 1.5–2 feet [0.46–0.61 metres] tall and wide. Some fronds reach 2.5 feet [0.76 metres] long. The arching fronds form an upright, urn-like shape. They grow in loose groups or rows from shallow rhizomes. Each broad, green blade has a strong triangular outline. The fronds turn soft yellow in fall before dying back. Their broad shape gives the plant much of its garden appeal.

Each frond has at least twelve pairs of divided leaflets. The lowest pair often points down and grows wider than the rest. A thin strip of leaf tissue links leaflets along the central stalk. This winged joint helps set the species apart. Fine hairs grow on the lower leaf surface. The round, smooth stems range from light green to reddish green. Scales may grow near their bases. Fronds that bear spores look much like those without spores. Reddish-brown sori sit beneath the leaflet lobes, without a covering flap. The plant makes spores rather than flowers or fruit.

Grow this fern in partial shade or deep shade. It prefers acid soil rich in organic matter, with good drainage. Keep the soil moist; it also grows in wetter conditions. Wild plants sometimes grow in sunnier places with drier soil. Those sites do not reflect its preferred garden conditions. Sources list it for USDA zones 5–9. It needs little routine care and grows fast where conditions suit it.

Use it as ground cover in a shaded woodland garden. It also suits native gardens, borders, and mass plantings. Creeping rhizomes help it form colonies, but growth can become weedy. Allow for that spread when choosing its place. Deer and rabbits tend to leave it alone. Sources report no major insect or disease concerns. Slugs may appear in early summer. Root cuttings provide one way to raise more plants.