Lygodium japonicum
Non-Native
USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Illustration courtesy of University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Used with permission.
What is Japanese Climbing Fern?
Physical Characteristics
Leaves:
Stem:
- Vine
- Green, orange and black
- Wiry
- Up to 90 feet long
- Vines rise from rhizomes
- Slender, wiry, black rhizomes
Where Does it Grow?
Non-Native
Japanese climbing fern is non-native to North America and can be found along highways, in forests, or along the edges of wet meadows.
Is it Invasive?
Japanese climbing fern is non-native to North America and is invasive. This plant forms dense mats on trees and shrubs rapidly.
This plant is not native to North America, but has naturalized in much of the United States. While it is not illegal to possess this plant in Texas, it should not be introduced into new water bodies and should be treated with herbicide when present.