Sword Fern - sx̌ax̌əlčac - (Polystichum munitum)
One of the most prolific ferns in our area the Western Sword Fern is a lush evergreen that forms clumps of long green fronds up to four feet long that can contain over one hundred leaves. On the undersides of the fronds, you can find wonderful brown sporangia that contain spores for reproducing, the plant also uses rhizomes for this purpose. For healthy growth dead fronds should be cut off in early spring before new bright-green fiddlehead shoots begin to unfurl. Sword Fern is great for aiding with hillside erosion, as ground cover, or as an understory plant. Native Americans developed many uses for this plant; as food, as lining for food storage boxes, berry picking baskets, earth ovens, drying racks and steam pits, and medicinally as poultices, infusions, and rinses.
*Prefers partial/filtered sun to partial/full shade
* Prefers humus rich, fertile evenly moist soil and misting to fronds. If good drainage is present, it can adapt to a range of soil conditions. Once established can be drought tolerant.
*Suitable to rocky slopes, shaded and wooded areas, can be potted and kept in indirect sunlight
* 3-6 feet tall and wide
*Sold as a Plug
*Sold in bundles of 5
sx̌ax̌əlčac *Lushootseed provided by the Puyallup Tribal Language Program and audio by Chris Briden, Puyallup Tribal member.