American Climbing Fern

Lygodium palmatum

Modest

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: 6–9 feet
Spread: 6–8 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

Space about 7 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Lygodium palmatum — foliage photograph — Jhapeman · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original photograph

Rare or protected plant. Specialist conservation planting; excluded from routine garden suggestions. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Leaves: Semi-evergreen or evergreen

Recorded in 5 Alabama counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 85 animals.

Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Screech-owl
Megascops asio
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eurasian Collared-dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Birds. 1 shared habitat
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Gadwall
Anas strepera
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Green Heron
Butorides virescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hairy Woodpecker
Picoides villosus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Kentucky Warbler
Oporornis formosus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Least Bittern
Ixobrychus exilis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Louisiana Waterthrush
Seiurus motacilla
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Mississippi Kite
Ictinia mississippiensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

1CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Lygodium

Acrolophus heppneriHeppner's Grass-Tubeworm

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

0BeesSoutheastern regional records

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Lygodiaceae
Hardiness: Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH: Acidic
Flower color: Not applicable

What its natural habitat tells you

Growing sources and scope

Flower color · “Not applicable” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Hardiness · “Zones 4a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “6–9 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Leaves · “Semi-evergreen or evergreen” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “6–8 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

Alabama rank	S1
Global rank	G4
AL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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