Broad Beech Fern
Phegopteris hexagonoptera
Last reviewed: August 2026
Broad beech fern is a deciduous woodland fern that spreads via rhizomes in part shade to shade, favoring evenly moist, medium-water soil in eastern and midwestern forests.
Toxicity unknown
Broad Beech Fern (Phegopteris hexagonoptera) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
part shade
Water
medium
Size
12"–24" H × 12"–24" W
Bloom
N/A
Native to
AL, AR, CT, DE and 30 more states
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Broad beech fern is a delicate native fern with triangular fronds that create soft, feathery groundcover in shaded areas. It spreads slowly by underground rhizomes to form natural colonies and goes dormant in winter, disappearing completely until spring.
Growing Broad Beech Fern
Grow Broad Beech Fern in part shade and medium water. Mature plants reach 12 to 24 inches tall and spread 12 to 24 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
In an HOA neighborhood
Broad Beech Fern takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: low. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.
Works well in: backyard only.
- Disappears completely in winter leaving bare ground
- Spreads unpredictably and can look sparse
- Too informal and woodland-like for typical HOA standards
Wildlife value
This fern provides shelter and nesting material for small wildlife and insects. Its fronds offer cover for ground-dwelling creatures and contribute to the forest floor ecosystem.
Common questions
- Does broad beech fern produce flowers?
- No. Like other ferns, broad beech fern reproduces by spores rather than flowers, so it has no bloom period and offers no floral resource for pollinators.
- How much light does broad beech fern need?
- It grows best in part shade to full shade, though it can tolerate brighter part sun if soil stays consistently moist.
- What soil conditions suit broad beech fern?
- It prefers medium, evenly moist soil rich in organic matter, similar to the leaf litter of a forest floor.
- Does broad beech fern stay green year round?
- No. It is deciduous, and its fronds die back after the first hard frost in fall, returning in spring.
- Is Broad Beech Fern HOA-friendly?
- Broad Beech Fern takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
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