Landscape Uses:
	A large specimen or accent fern useful in wet areas nearly throughout South Florida. It is especiall useful along the edges of freshwater or brackish ponds and marshes.
Ecological Restoration Notes:
	Nearly ubiquitous in wetlands throughout South Florida and can become dominant in certain situations.
Availability:
	Commonly available at native plant nurseries in central and South Florida. Rarely grown by native plant nurseries in northeast Florida.
Description:
	Large shrub-like herbaceous fern with ascending or arching fronds. Fronds to about 10 feet long or more.
Height:
	Typically 6-12 feet in height. As broad as tall or broader, but often growing in large masses.
Growth Rate:
	Moderate.
Range:
	Monroe County Keys north to St. Johns and Dixie counties; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.
Habitats:
	A wide variety of freshwater or brackish wetlands from marshes to swamps.
Soils:
	Wet to moist, poorly-drained to inundated organic freshwater or brackish soils.
Nutritional Requirements:
	High; requires rich organic soils for optimal growth.
Salt Water Tolerance:
	Moderate; tolerates brackish water or occasional inundation by salt water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
	Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance:
	Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements:
	Light shade to full sun.
Flower Color:
	N/A.
Flower Characteristics:
	There are no flowers; the plants reproduce by spores.
Flowering Season:
	All year.
Fruit:
	Inconspicuous spores.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Horticultural Notes:
	Can be grown from spores. Small plants can be transplanted.
Comments:
	This is the more common of our two native species of Acrostichum. It can be distinguished from A. aurem by its longer fronds and more crowded pinnae (leaflets).