Home > Landscaping > Native Plants for Western Washington Gardens and Restoration Projects
Polystichum munitum
Sword Fern
At a Glance: A large attractive fern with erect evergreen fronds forming a circular crown.
Height: 3-5 feet (1-1.5 meters).
Growth Form: Fern.
Leaves: Fronds are pinnately divided once with sharply toothed alternating leaflets. Each leaflet has a hilt-like lobe at base representing the hilt of a sword. Overall shape of frond is lanceolate; size: 90-150 cm (3-5 ft) long by 20-30 cm (8-12 in) across; color: dark green.
Flowers: Produces spores in circular sori located halfway between the mid-vein and the margin in rows of two. Insidium is round with fringed margins.
Flowering Period: none.
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Prefers shady forest understory.
 full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60%  mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%
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wet moist dry
Wetland Indicator Status:
FACU (facultative upland) |
low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation
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Aquatic and Wetland:
Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs
Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas |
Saltwater Areas:
In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches
Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas
Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks |
Forests and Thickets:
Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets
Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas
Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites |
Landscape Uses: Well suited for dry to moist shady areas in the garden.
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Suggested References
The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.
