Size of a Peacock Fern

Appearance

• Peacock fern produces semi-evergreen, spear-shaped leaves that are a shiny, reflective blue green in the summer and rusty red in the winter. Leaves emerge from straw-colored stems, which are fairly fragile. The plant overall has a feathery, delicate appearance. The slow-growing plant spreads via a mat-like network of rhizomes. Despite its common name, the peacock fern is not a true fern, though like a fern, the plant produces spores. Peacock fern and related plants are sometimes called "fern allies."

Location

• A native of China, peacock fern is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 to 10. In the northern end of its range, the plant may freeze back in the winter. Unlike so many popular garden plants, peacock ferns prefer full or partial shade. If growing the plant as a ground cover, Cal's Plant of the Week recommends spacing plants 2 to 3 feet apart, though they may be grown closer together for faster coverage.

Culture

• Peacock fern prefers a moist, slightly acidic soil. A mixture consisting of 1 part loam, 2 parts peat moss and a pinch of pine bark is ideal. Water whenever the top 3 inches of soil is dry, never allowing the soil to become completely "bone dry." Regular watering will help increase plant growth. Indoor plants grow well in shady, moist conditions so long as nighttime temperatures remain around 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Indoor plants can benefit from a weekly dose of a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer, diluted with water to half the strength recommended by the label.

Problems

• A slug infestation can reduce the size and vigor of your plant if allowed to feed freely. Help prevent slugs by removing plant debris, large wood chips and weeds from the garden, as these materials shelter slugs. Raking away debris will also get rid of hidden slug eggs. Water plants in the morning so the soil dries out before evening- slugs come out at night and prefer moist conditions. Remove any slugs you come across and drown them in soapy water.