Plant
Japanese Climbing Fern
Lygodium japonicumAlso known as Vine-like Fern, Climbing Fern
Japanese climbing ferns form dense, tangled mats by twining fine leafy fronds around trees, shrubs, and understory vegetation. The delicate, lacy leaflets display distinct dimorphism, with fertile fronds bearing tiny spore-producing structures along their fringed margins. In introduced southern habitats, these aggressive vines create ladder fuels that carry ground fires high into tree canopies.
Vining FernInvasiveSpore-Bearing
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preySunlight, Soil Nutrients, Water
Predators
- Fern-Feeding Caterpillars
- Herbivorous Insects
ThreatsHerbicides, Targeted Eradication
HabitatsDisturbed Forests, Riverbanks, Wetland Edges
Life spanPerennial
Classification
- FamilyLygodiaceae
- SpeciesLygodium japonicum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Identification: Look for thin, wiry stems climbing clockwise up trees with lacy, divided leaflets.
- Spore Awareness: Avoid brushing against fertile fronds in autumn to prevent spreading light spores.
- Reporting: Log sightings in introduced regions on invasive species tracking apps to aid management.
Habitat Companion Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Co-occurring Fern (c) Michael Newlon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michael Newlon · cc-by
Image unavailableNative Relative 
Invasive Relative no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子 · cc0
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