fern
Holly fern
Cyrtomium falcatum
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 7–10, Holly fern is a slow-growing evergreen fern. It grows 1.5–2 ft tall and 2–3 ft wide, so plant it 2 ft apart. Give it part shade to shade and average water. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the grass role: a fern that adds fine, feathery texture in the middle of the bed, where a grass would go in a sunnier bed. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Desert Southwest and the Mountain West, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Invasive warning: listed as invasive, noxious or banned in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas. FloraVista never puts it on a list for a yard in those states. Check your state's list before planting.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Cyrtomium falcatum
- Plant type
- Fern, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 7 to 10
- Sun
- Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Humus-rich, well-drained soil.
- Mature size
- 1.5–2 ft tall × 2–3 ft wide
- Spacing
- 2 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Grown for foliage
- Roles in a bed
- Grass, Filler
- Styles
- classic, modern
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. ASPCA lists holly fern (Cyrtomium falcatum) non-toxic to dogs and cats.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $10–$20 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat; keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Established plants need water only in dry spells.
- Pruning
- Remove damaged fronds in spring.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; state extension service fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings; state extension service; Web search 2026-11: SC Invasive Plant Council 2024 list (Category II); Hawaii Plant Pono high-risk rating; NJ Invasive Species Strike Team list (2017; 'uncertain' on the 2025 watch list); Native Plant Society of Texas invasive list; US garden-centre and home-improvement retail listings (general knowledge, 2026 estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Holly fern, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Cast iron plantAspidistra elatiorperennial · zones 7–11
- Mondo grassOphiopogon japonicusgroundcover · zones 7–10
- Shrubby yew pinePodocarpus macrophyllus var. makishrub · zones 8–10
- Dwarf mondo grass 'Nana'Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana'groundcover · zones 7–10
- Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance'Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'ornamental grass · zones 5–9
- Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'Heuchera villosa 'Caramel'perennial · zones 4–9
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Holly fern: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
- Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'zones 5–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Lilyturf 'Big Blue'Liriope muscari 'Big Blue'zones 6–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Boston fernNephrolepis exaltatazones 9–11 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Japanese painted fern 'Pictum'Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'zones 4–8 · flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants