← Bedfellow

Purple Cliffbrake

Pellaea atropurpurea

Purple cliffbrake is a drought-tough evergreen fern of dry limestone cliffs and ledges, with blue-gray fronds on dark purple stems. A rock-garden gem for lean, alkaline sites.

Family
Pteridaceae
Type
fern
Lifespan
perennial
Height
0.5–1.5 ft
Spacing
0.5–1 ft apart
Light
sun, part shade
Soil moisture
dry
Soil pH
alkaline, neutral
Landscape uses
groundcover, container, naturalizing
Native states
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV