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Purple-stem Cliffbrake

Pellaea atropurpurea

Found in outcrops of limestone and other rocks (usually either calcareous, subcalcareous, or mafic), rarely on masonry walls (Wieboldt 1995). Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

8
Modest

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

Profile 76%

Height
2–20 inches
Light
Partial shade, Full shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

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
Evergreen
Bloom
March to November

Not yet recorded · Spread

Recorded in 1 Mississippi county.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Glades, barrens and outcrops on limestone

Standing water, Flat Rock Cedar Glades and Barrens SNA, Rutherford County
Standing water on a limestone glade. Shown: Flat Rock Cedar Glades and Barrens State Natural Area, Rutherford County, Tennessee, a neighboring state.Standing water, Flat Rock Cedar Glades and Barrens SNA, Rutherford County, Alan M. Cressler / U.S. Geological Survey, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Glades, barrens and outcrops on mafic or serpentine rock

Open, thin-soil openings, outcrops and cliffs on dark, magnesium- or iron-rich rock such as serpentine, diabase or gabbro.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

0CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS
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
Pteridaceae
Flower color
Not applicable
Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Purple Cliffbrake; Purple stem Cliffbrake

Conservation status

Mississippi rankS1
Global rankG5
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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How to check your spot

Sources