Holly Fern
Cyrtomium falcatum
Ferns Difficulty: Easy
📖 About this plant
A robust, evergreen fern with thick, glossy, dark green fronds resembling holly leaves. Its leathery, arching foliage adds year-round structure and texture to shaded gardens. Exceptionally tough and drought-tolerant for a fern, thriving in conditions that would stress many other species.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Low to medium indirect
💧
Water
Every 1-2 weeks
💨
Humidity
Moderate to high (50-70%)
🌡️
Temperature
10-21°C
🪴
Soil
Well-draining, organically rich, slightly acidic to neutral loam
🧪
Fertilizer
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly during growing season
🌐 Common Names
HI
Hindi
हॉली फर्न
BN
Bengali
হলি ফার্ন
MR
Marathi
हॉली फर्न
TE
Telugu
హాలీ ఫెర్న్
TA
Tamil
ஹோலி ஃபெர்ன்
GU
Gujarati
હોલી ફર્ન
UR
Urdu
ہولی فرن
KN
Kannada
ಹಾಲಿ ಫರ್ನ್
OR
Odia
ହଲି ଫର୍ନ
ML
Malayalam
ഹോളി ഫേൺ
PA
Punjabi
ਹੋਲੀ ਫਰਨ
AS
Assamese
হলি ফাৰ্ন
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Eastern Asia (Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan), also naturalized in Hawaii
- 📏 Max height
- 45-75 cm
- 📐 Spread
- 45-75 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Non-flowering
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Non-flowering (produces spores)
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Dark Green, Glossy
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic to humans and pets
- 🌱 Propagation
- Division of clumps in spring; spore propagation
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic to humans and pets
Common issues
- Scale insects on glossy fronds
- Leaf spot fungi in humid conditions
- Yellowing from too much direct light
💡 Care tips
- Dark glossy holly-like fronds are unusually robust for a fern
- One of the most cold-tolerant ferns for outdoor gardens
- Tolerates drier conditions than most fern species
- Excellent choice for shaded borders and woodland gardens
🪴 Add to My Plants
One click — added instantly. Watering every 11 days, fertilizing every 30 days.
