The naturalization of Phegopteris decursive-pinnata, the Japanese beech fern, in Georgia, U.S.A.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17348/jbrit.v19.i4.1448Keywords:
flora of North America, garden escape, natural areas, Phegopteris taiwanianaAbstract
Phegopteris decursive-pinnata (Phegopteris taiwaniana, Thelypteris decursive-pinnata), the Japanese beech fern, is reported from six nature preserves in the Atlanta/Gainesville region of Georgia, United States. The fern has been previously collected in a single county in Arkansas and two counties in Alabama. Recent Research Grade iNaturalist posts (2021–2025) report the fern in eight states including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Tennessee in the South, and in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia in Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. These collections and observations suggest that this commonly cultivated ornamental fern is becoming naturalized in the United States.
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