Interesting Texture

The Leather fern holds interesting texture. In landscape design, texture refers to how coarse or fine the surface of the plant or hardscape material feels and/or looks. Texture is used to provide variety, interest, and contrast. The plant's foliage, flowers, bark, and overall branching pattern all have texture. Coarse-textured plants attract the eye and tend to hold it because the light and dark contrasts of the shadows provide more interest. Acrostichum daneifolium, Leather fern looks spectacular planted in mass in a large landscape. Its unusual texture and open habit combine to make this a great, eye-catching attraction. In a smaller residential landscape, leather fern can be used as a specimen planted alone to add texture to the garden. Many ferns grow poorly near the coast, however this one is tolerant of all but the most exposed ocean-front lots.

Provide a shaded or partially shaded spot for leather fern for the best growth and to keep plants healthy. Prolonged direct sun, especially in the summer, can burn foliage. Ferns transplant well any time of year as long the soil ball is handled carefully.


This beautiful fern that is native to Florida grows larger than many other ferns, becoming 4 to 8 feet tall. The 3- to 6-foot-long, pinnately divided fronds emerge from the ground to form a beautifully textured, open form. The plant changes very little throughout the year, but provides a continual green mass of beautiful foliage.

The giant leather fern is considered a Florida-Friendly plant. This plant is relatively pest free.