Adiantum venustum
Himalayan Maidenhair Fern
Size: 6-12”
Hardiness:
Zones 5-8
Growth Habit: Forms arching mounds, creeping along the ground.
Triangular fronds, shallow rooted. Likes rich, moist to wet, humus soil.
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Asplenium ebenoides
Scott's Spleenwort
Size : 10-20"
Hardiness : Zones 3-8
Growth Habit : Dwarf.
Evergreen to semi-evergreen. No change in color. Handsome dwarf adaptable to higher pH's.
Athyrium otophorum
Auriculate Lady Fern
Size: 12-18”
Hardiness:
Zones 4-8
Growth Habit: Upright, arching fronds.
Each frond has a striking red stem with glossy, lime-green foliage. This fern is breath taking with deep gray-green fronds and reddish stems. Prefers moist, well-drained, humus soil.
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Athyrium angustum f.r. 'Lady in Red'
Lady Fern
Size : 30-36"
Hardiness : Zone 3
Growth Habit : Easy to grow.
Vibrant burgundy color running through the stems.
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Athyrium nipponicum ‘Pictum'
Japanese Painted Fern
Size: 8-20”
Hardiness:
Zones 3-8
Growth Habit: Bushy, somewhat rounded.
A must for dull, shady spots. Very popular. Variegated, splendid, silver, red and green fronds. The best variegated fern.
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Athyrium x 'Branford Rambler'
Branford Rambler Fern
Size : 2' Tall, 3' Wide
Hardiness : Zones 5-9
Growth Habit: A nice, upright groundcover. Not invasive, but will colonize.
This exciting selection has some of the variegation of the painted fern with lots of red tones. Good for moist, shady areas although it has the strength and drought tolerance of the lady fern.
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Athyrium x 'Ghost'
Ghost Fern
Size : 18-24"
Hardiness : Zones 4-8
Growth Habit : Clump-forming.
Stunning silver white fronds - strong growing and dependable. Leaves age to green providing a backdrop for the bright new growth.
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Dennstaedtia punctilobula
Hay Scented Fern
Size : 12-24”
Hardiness : Zones 4-8
Growth Habit : Erect, colonizing.
Yellow-green fronds, erect to arching, lance-shaped with linear segment. Soft yellow fall color. Foliage has a lacy, delicate appearance, but this is a tough, native, ground covering fern. This fern is tolerant of sunnier and drier sights than most ferns.
Interesting note on Dryopteris:
From the Greek ‘drus' (dry), ‘pteris' (oak), and ‘fern', thus ‘Fern of the Oakwood'
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Dryopteris championii
Champion's Wood Fern
Size: 1-2'
Hardiness:
Zones 5-8
Growth Habit: A slow grower and worth the wait. Forms low, dense
mounds. Broad, glossy fronds. Reddish-brown chaff coats the stems near
the base, adding visual interest.
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Dryopteris clintoniana
Clinton's Shield Fern
Size : 20-40"
Hardiness : Zones 3-8
Growth Habit : Clump forming and spreading.
Segments are coarsely serrated with oblong-obtuse pinnae. A cold hardy evergreen! Large, broad-spreading, leathery fronds.
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Dryopteris cycadina (atrata)
Shaggy Wood Fern
Size : 18-36"
Hardiness : Zones 3-8
Growth Habit : Erect.
Very distinguished with smooth, regular outline. Very hardy, deciduous fern producing lance-shaped, pinnate, bright green fronds.
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Dryopteris dilatata 'Recurvata'
Recurved Broad Buckler Fern
Size : 15-18"
Hardiness : Zones 3-8
Growth Habit : Recurving.
Good contrast plant. Graceful, wide spreading fronds that recurve. Weeping, though somewhat formal appearance.
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Dryopteris erythrosara
Autumn Fern
Size: 18-24”
Hardiness:
Zones 3-8
Growth Habit: Bushy.
Glossy, dark green, evergreen foliage with coppery colored new growth. Lovely display of color in the fall. Bright red in cold climates. Very adaptable and easy to grow, will tolerate moist or dry shade.
Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance'
Brilliant Autumn Fern
Size: 2-3'
Hardiness:
Zones 5-8
Growth Habit: Upright.
Evergreen fern with bright, copper-orange new fronds.
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Dryopteris filix-mas 'Cristata Jackson'
Male Fern
Size : 2-4'
Hardiness : Zones 3-8
Growth Habit : Clump-forming.
Tends to be a fast grower and forms a large clump quickly. Reliable garden standard. Carved crests found at the frond peak and leaflet terminals.
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Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactylon'
Many Fingered Male Fern
Size : 2-3'
Hardiness : Zones 3-8
Growth Habit : Clumping.
Wanders nicely in the shade border. Deciduous to semi-evergreen. Fancy, medium green fronds with slender segments and long divergent crests.
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Dryopteris goldiana
Goldie's Fern
Size : 4'
Hardiness : Zones 6-8
Growth Habit : Deciduous, slow-creeping, tufts of pale green fronds.
Largest of the wood ferns.
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Dryopteris remota
Fern
Size : 3'
Hardiness : Zones 3-8
Growth Habit : Spreading.
This plant has a broad lance-shaped outline with tawny scales. Successful self-sower bears 3' horizontal evergreen fronds. Each frond is wide with a fine, lacy dissection.
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Dryopteris wallichiana
Wallich's Wood Fern
Size : 2-3'
Hardiness : Zones 3-8
Growth Habit : Erect
Very graceful, frilly, deep green and glossy fronds. One of the best!
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Matteuccia struthiopteris
Ostrich Fern
Size : 3-5'
Hardiness : Zones 3-8
Growth Habit : Erect.
Erect fronds form a tall vase shape. Rhizomatous spreader. Magnificent and adaptable.
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Osmunda claytonia
Interruped Fern
Size : 4'
Hardiness : Zones 3-8
Growth Habit : Erect.
Resembles cinnamon fern - a majestic variety. Disticntive in having the frond interruped in th middle by sporangia.
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Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis
Royal Fern
Size : 4-6'
Hardiness : Zones 3-8
Growth Habit : Upright, spreading.
Covered with initially blackish, later yellow-green sporangia. Thrives in rich, acidic soil. Deciduous fern bearing ovate, lance shaped pale green fronds.
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Polypodium vulgare
Common Polypodium
Size : 3-10"
Hardiness : Zones 3-8
Growth Habit : Erect.
Tolerates alkaline or acidic soil. Produces new fronds early summer. Narrowly erect, medium green, lance-shaped evergreen fronds.
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Polysichum acrostichoides
Christmas Fern
Size:
1-3'
Hardiness: Zones 3-8
Growth Habit: Lax, open mound.
Native fern found growing wild in only a few sites in our area. This versatile, evergreen form prefers shade, but will tolerate some sun if kept moist. Native to North America and Canada. Give the shade garden some winter life.
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Polystichum munitum
Western Sword Fern
Size : 2-4'
Hardiness : Zones 3-8
Growth Habit : Arching
Longer and narrower than Christmas Fern. Does best in shady,moist soil. One of the finest ferns. Evergreen, shiny dark green arching fronds.
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Polystichum rigens
Japanese Tassel Fern
Size : 2'
Hardiness : Zone 3-8
Growth Habit : Erect.
Native to Japan. Handsome variety. Rigid, glossy, leather-like evergreen fronds. For moist, acrid soil.
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Thelypteris noveboracensis
New York Fern
Size: 12-24”
Hardiness:
Zone 4
Growth Habit: Erect, spreading.
Acid loving, native fern with erect fronds from long, creeping rhizomes. Likes moist, woodland, or swampy sites but will tolerate average, humus-rich soils, just not dry areas! Good pond side, or as a wetland planting. Mixes well with Iris.
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Woodsia obtusa
Blunt Lobed Woodsia Fern
Size : 6-9"
Hardiness : Zones 6-10
Growth Habit : Tufted, compact
Grows in well drained, neutral to alkaline soil. Compact form with gray-green fronds for a shady rock garden.