|                    Lacy bracken fern
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                |                    Pteridium caudatum
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                |                    Dennstaedtiaceae 
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                 Landscape Uses:
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                 Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. | 
               
                Ecological Restoration Notes:  | 
               
              
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                | Availability: | 
               
              
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                 Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries. | 
               
              
                | Description: | 
               
              
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                 Large herbaceous fern. | 
               
              
                | Height: | 
               
              
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                 Typically 3-6 feet or more in height.  Spreading from underground stems (rhizomes) and forming large dense patches. | 
               
              
                | Growth Rate: | 
               
              
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                 Moderate. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
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                 Monroe County Keys north to Brevard, Highlands and Citrus counties; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.  Rare in the Monroe County Keys and very rare or absent in the middle Keys. | 
               
              
                | Habitats: | 
               
              
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                 Pinelands. | 
               
              
                | Soils: | 
               
              
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                 Moist, well-drained limestone or sandy soils, usually without humusy top layer. | 
               
              
                | Nutritional Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils. | 
               
              
                | Salt Water Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. | 
               
              
                | Salt Wind Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. | 
               
              
                | Drought Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 High; does not require any supplemental water once established. | 
               
              
                | Light Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Full sun. | 
               
              
                | Flower Color: | 
               
              
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                 N/A. | 
               
              
                | Flower Characteristics: | 
               
              
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                 There are no flowers; the plants reproduce by spores. | 
               
              
                | Flowering Season: | 
               
              
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                 All year. | 
               
              
                | Fruit: | 
               
              
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                 Inconspicuous spores. | 
               
              
                | Wildlife and Ecology: | 
               
              
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                | Horticultural Notes: | 
               
              
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                 Can be grown from spores and division. | 
               
              
                | Comments: | 
               
              
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                 It can be very aggressive in the garden; handle with care! | 
               
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                    George D. Gann, 16 March 2015 Portion of frond in habitat, Everglades National Park Florida, USA
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                    George D. Gann emerging frond in habitat Everglades National Park, 2012
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