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Japanese Climbing Fern

Lygodium japonicum

Plant: Fern, climbing and twining, perennial vine, up to 22 ft (7 m) long, often forming mats and becoming shrub- and tree-covering infestations, from slender rhizomes, widely creeping underground, black and wiry. Dies back in winter above Florida, unless in sheltered places, with chocolate brown fronds persisting in winter.

Stem: Trailing, twining, or climbing, wiry, slender but difficult to break, green to straw-colored or reddish.

Leaves (fronds): Opposite on vine, light green, compound once or twice divided, varying in appearance according to the number of divisions, with highly dissected leaves, appearing lacy, generally triangular in outline, 3-6 in (8-15 cm) long and 2-3 in (5-8 cm) wide. Turning dark brown in winter.

Flowers: Fertile fronds usually smaller segments with fingerlike projections around the margins bearing sporangia (spore producing dots), in double rows under margins.

Seeds: Tiny spores, wind dispersed.
July (J. Miller)

January (J. Miller)

Ecology: Spreading along highway rights-of-way (preferring under and around bridges) and invades into open forests, forest road edges, and stream margins, scattered in occurrence in open timber stands and plantations, but can increase in cover to form mats, covering shrubs and trees, spreading rapidly by wind-dispersed spores.

Resembles American climbing fern (native) and Old World climbing fern (exotic in Florida) but they have palmately lobed 5-7 finger-like fronds. American climbing fern occurs in swamps, stream beds, and ravines, and confines spread to small areas and not forming extensive infestations. Old World climbing fern is a major exotic invasive pest plant in southern Florida.

Exotic Pest Plant Control Recommendations

Bayer International Code - LYJA
FIA Code - 5171

July (J. Miller) September (J. Miller)

September (T. Bodner) States with suspected
infestations are shown in red.*

* USDA, NRCS. 2001. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.1 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. February 5, 2002.

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USDA Forest ServiceUSDA APHIS PPQ The Bugwood Network University of Georgia Invasive.org is a joint project of
The Bugwood Network, USDA Forest Service & USDA APHIS PPQ.
The University of Georgia - Warnell School of Forest Resources and
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences - Dept. of Entomology
Last updated on Sunday, August 10, 2003 at 11:14 PM
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