Synonym: Nephrodium acrostichoides.

Evergreen. Dark green fronds are leathery and lance-shaped and divided with holly-like leaflets. Typically grows in a fountain-like clump. Young fiddleheads in spring are silvery. Excellent for erosion control, borders, edging and along foundations or walls.

The Christmas fern is low maintenance, easy to grow and is attractive in many situations, with dark green, shiny leaves. It grows from a crown and over a period of years will make a very large, dense clump. Requires moisture in sun. Deer tend to avoid. Slow to moderate growth rate (very little the first season), spacing 9-12". Mature height 12"-24".

Planting the Christmas fern in large groups on slight slopes (including dryish, rocky ones) is effective for erosion control. Christmas fern is a Missouri native fern which occurs in both dry and moist wooded slopes, moist banks and ravines. The common name "Christmas Fern" is so given because the plant is evergreen all winter and has been used in the past for Christmas decoration, also because the pinnae resemble small Christmas stockings. The fronds are often used in flower arrangements.