• Image of Polystichum luctuosum|Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC|JLBG

    Photo by JLBG taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC

  • Image of Polystichum luctuosum|Casa Flora, TX|Casa Flora

    Photo by Casa Flora taken at Casa Flora, TX

1 3

Polystichum luctuosum

Sorrowful Fern

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

Shop Available Polystichum
Write a review
| Ask a Question

Item #: 6055

Zones: 6a to 8b

Dormancy: Evergreen

Height: 12" tall

Culture: Light Shade to Shade

Origin: Africa, China, Japan, Korea

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


Polystichum luctuosum is a lovely small fern that's closely related to the popular Polystichum tsus-simense and Polystichum mayebarae. In fact, the only difference is that the fronds of Polystichum luctuosum are divided twice instead of three times. In the wild, Polystichum luctuosum can be found streamside, often growing on alkaline rocks between 2,000' and 6,000' elevation in Japan, Korea, China, and, yes, South Africa. Polystichum luctuosum forms a 1' tall x 2' wide evergreen clump of finely divided, silvery-green fronds. Slightly moist to average soil moisture is best.