Pellaea viridis 'McLear'

(aka: Cheilanthes viridis) This accession of Pellaea viridis comes from South Africa's Eastern Cape near the town of McLear at 4,200' elevation. Most of the forms of Pellaea viridis that we saw in 2005 only reached 1' tall, but this form topped out at 2' tall. We are uncertain if this was due to growing conditions or genetics. The thick, dark green pinnae adorn the black stipe on this semi-evergreen, clumping fern. Although Pellaea viridis is typically grown as a containerized house plant, we've grown this selection outdoors for over a decade including through some single digit F winters.