(dry-op' ter-iss mar-gi-nal' iss)

Common name: Leather Wood Fern, Marginal Shield Fern

Family: Dryopteridaceae (Polypodiaceae)

Height x width: 18-24" x 12-18"

Growth rate: moderate

Fronds: bipinnate 5-8" wide, lanceolate to ovate-oblong, leathery texture, dark green to bluish-green, brown scales on stipe and rachis; evergreen

Sori: located on the pinnae edges or margins, hence the species name

Hardiness: zones 3-8

Soil: moist, organic

Light: part to full shade

Pests and Problems: none serious

Landscape habit, uses: shaded rock or woodland garden, native gardens

Other interest: native to eastern U.S.; genus name from the Greek dryas meaning oak and pteris meaning fern, refering to location of some European species in moist oak woods; a large genus with many garden worthy species

Other culture: keep from sun and drying winds

Propagation: division of small crowns near main rosette, spores in late summer

Cultivars: none, only found in commerce as the species

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