Is Holly Fern deer resistant?
Cyrtomium falcatum
Plant typeFernHardinessZones 7–10LightFull shade to part shadeMature height17–24 in
MaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
About Holly Fern
Thick glossy fronds that look more like holly than fern, and it holds them all winter in mild areas. One of the toughest ferns for dry shade.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 18 to 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Holly Fern
Other ferns with the same deer rating.
- Christmas FernPolystichum acrostichoidesZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Cinnamon FernOsmunda cinnamomeaZones 4–9Rarely damaged
- Hayscented FernDennstaedtia punctilobulaZones 3–8Rarely damaged
- Japanese Painted FernAthyrium niponicumZones 4–9Rarely damaged
- New York FernThelypteris noveboracensisZones 3–8Rarely damaged
- Ostrich FernMatteuccia struthiopterisZones 3–8Rarely damaged
Where Holly Fern grows
Hardy across most of these 36 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Illinois
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Browse from here
Every list Holly Fern belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Holly Fern
- Is Holly Fern deer resistant?
- Holly Fern (Cyrtomium falcatum) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Holly Fern grow in?
- Holly Fern is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 10. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Holly Fern grow in shade?
- Yes. Holly Fern tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Holly Fern get?
- Mature height is roughly 17–24 in. Growth rate is slow.