Scientific name: Polypodium glycyrrhiza
Family: POLYPODIACEAE
Common names: “Licorice fern”
Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial fern
Conditions:
Zone: 4-9
Light: Semi-shade
Exposure: Sheltered
Soil: Moderately fertile humus
Moisture: Moist well drained – summer drought
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: H 1′ W groundcover
Leaf and Stem shape: Dormant during the summer, arching dark green fronds emerge as fall approaches and all tend to point in the same direction
Maintenance: Low – zero, naturalizes into old trees and over rocks
Landscape use: Native garden, groundcover
Propagate: By spores and rhizome division
Pests & Disease: Generally healthy
*Deer resistant
Comments: Native to the west coast of North America from Alaska – California, can be epiphytic, roots have been used by first nations for medicinal licorice flavoured tea