Index / Search / Blechnum spicant

§1 Plant

Blechnum spicant (L.) Sm.

vernacular deer fern — species · Blechnaceae


USDA
BLSP
GBIF
5665828 syn.
Rank
species
deer fern (Blechnum spicant)
Platephotograph · Harsi S. ParkerCC BY-NC source · iNaturalist ↗

§2Habit & range

Habit and range

Growth habit
Forb/herb
Duration
Perennial
Group
Fern
Family
Blechnaceae Newman
Genus
Blechnum
§2a

Native status, by region

  • AK Alaska Native
  • CAN Canada Native
  • L48 Lower 48 States Native
§2b

County-level range

· 4 counties across 1 state
Legend Native · 4 Introduced · 0 Both · 0 Hover a county for detail.

§3Cultivation specs · USDA

Recorded by the USDA Plant Materials Program.

§3a

Tolerances

Drought
None
Shade
Medium
Moisture use
High
Fire
Medium
Salinity
None
Anaerobic
Medium
CaCO₃
Medium
Hedging
None
§3b

Climate & soil

Cold tolerance
-8 °F minimum
Frost-free days
160 min.
Precipitation
30–60 in/yr
pH range
5.5–7
Root depth
12 in min.
Fertility need
High
Soil texture
medium
§3c

Form & growth

Growth form
Rhizomatous
Growth rate
Moderate
Lifespan
Long
Mature height
3.5 ft
Foliage texture
Medium
Foliage colour
Dark Green
Porosity (summer)
Porous
Porosity (winter)
Porous
Fire resistant
No
N fixation
None
Toxicity
None
§3d

Reproduction

Seed abundance
None
Spread rate
None
Stratify
No
Propagation
container, sprigs
§3e

Use & availability

Commercial availability
Contracting Only
Nursery stock
Yes
Palatable, human
No
Lumber
No
Christmas tree
No

§4Counties, by state

Recorded in 4 counties across 1 state.


§5Sources & provenance

USDA PLANTS

Symbol, taxonomy, distribution, cultivation specs, native status. Public domain.

plants.usda.gov/BLSP ↗

GBIF Backbone

Canonical taxonomic identity, synonym resolution, cross-refs. CC0.

gbif.org/species/5665828 ↗

Record version

Cached and built locally. Source version on this record:

usda-plants-mt-2026-05-26

fetched 2026-05-26T05:45:41Z