Polypody is most at home growing on a wall or out of a crack in a rock. It is quite happy in dryish places where many ferns tend to be found in wet or damp places. It seems to have no preference for either acid or basic soils and can be found almost anywhere.

Polypodium vulgare is common throughout the British Isles except in the east (east Yorkshire, east midlands and Lincolnshire) but is common in Wales the west generally and throughout most of Scotland. It is common in the north and south of Ireland but less common in the centre.

Coed Cilygroeslwyd, near Ruthin North Wales LHS: 10th February 2002 RHS: 29th March 2006

Added on November 9th 2004, updated 18th July 2011, updated 27th June 2024