States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaArkansasFloridaLouisianaMississippiVirginiaWest Virginia
Menu

Pteridium aquilinum

Pteridium aquilinum

33
Good

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height
About 6.6 feet
Light
Up to 6 hours of direct sun
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to average
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Bloom
Summer
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 7 West Virginia counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 84 animals.

Widespread birds also seen here (49)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

12CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Pteridium

  • Callopistria cordataSilver-Spotted Fern Moth
  • Callopistria mollissimaPink-Shaded Fern Moth
  • Eueretagrotis perattentusTwo-Spot Dart
  • Euplexia benesimilisAmerican Angle Shades
  • Fagitana litteraMarsh Fern Moth
  • Homochlodes fritillariaPale Homochlodes
  • Melanchra adjunctaHitched Arches
  • Melanchra assimilisBlack Arches
  • Morrisonia latexFluid Arches, Fluid Mamestra
  • Olethreutes osmundanaFern Olethreutes
Show all 12
  • Papaipema pterisiiBracken Border
  • Petrophora subaequariaLeaping Looper, Northern Petrophora
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
DENNSTAEDTIACEAE
Flower color
Green
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Dark green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Foliage color · “Dark green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth habit · “Spreads by rhizomes” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Height · “About 6.6 feet” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary

Conservation status

West Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Growing cautions

  • Spreads by rhizomes. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as rhizomatous. USDA PLANTS

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources