Ferns

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.

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.

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.

Athyrium f.f. 'Frizellae'

Mrs. Frizell's lady fern

Size :

Hardiness : Zone 9

Growth Habit : Creeping.

Has fronds 4-8" long.

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.

Athyrium niponicum 'Samurai Sword'

Japanese Painted Fern

Size : 2-3'

Hardiness : Zones 5-9

Growth Habit : Clump-forming.

A selection of the well know Painted Fern. This isolated clone bears a deep burgundy strip and rachis.

Athyrium nipon. var. pic. 'Ursula's Red'

Ursula's Red

Size : 8-20"

Hardiness : Zones 4-9

Growth Habit : Broad leaves.

Silver leaves with wine red.

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.

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.

DR N

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'

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Dryopteris 'Jimmy Dyce'

Buckler Fern

Size : 12"

Hardiness : Zones 3-8

Growth Habit : Stiffly erect habit. Fronds have a 3-D effect by curling forward and back. Top notch landscape fern.

DR N

Dryopteris marginalis

Leatherwood Fern, Marginal Shield Fern

Size: 1-2'

Hardiness: Zones 3-8

Growth Habit: Upright, single crowned.

Evergreen, blue-green fronds actually have the appearance of leather.

Dryopteris pseudo. 'Cristata the King'

Crested Male Fern

Size : 2-4'

Hardiness : Zones 3-8

Growth Habit : Gracefully arched fronds, curled stipules.

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.

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!

Gymnocarpium dryopteris 'Plumosum'

Oak Fern

Size : 9-12"

Hardiness : Zones 3-8

Growth Habit : Rhizomatous

A very attractive non-aggressive native woodland fern. Fronds are apple-green w long, wiry stipes and long, creeping rhizomes.

Matteuccia orientalis

Ostrich Fern

Size : 1-1.5'

Hardiness : Zones 3-8

Growth Habit : Fronds have long stipe, blade stops abruptly at base of stipe.

DR N

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.

Nephrolepis exaltata

Boston Fern

Size :

Hardiness : Zones 3-8

Growth Habit : Beautiful green foliage in mounding free style form.

Fast growth rate. Grows best in moist soil.

Nephrolepis exaltata 'Crispa'

Sword Fern

Size : 24" to 4'

Hardiness :

Growth Habit : Fast growth rate.

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.

Osmunda regalis 'Cristata'

Royal Fern

Size : 2-4'

Hardiness : Zones 2-10

Growth Habit : Crested segment tips.

Moist, shady location prefered.

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.

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.

DR N

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.

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.

Polystichum neolobatumn

Holly Fern

Size : 1-2'

Hardiness : Zones 3-8

Growth Habit : Erect.

Native to the moist woods of China, Taiwan, India and Japan. Erect, evergreen fronds.

Polystichum polyblepharum

Tassel Fern

Size: 1-2'

Hardiness: Zone 3-8
Growth Habit: Upright.

Lacy fronds are 1-2', very showy, glossy, dark green, and evergreen. N ative to Japan, Korea, and China. Prefers shade and humus rich soil. Polyblepharum means eyelashes.

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.

Pteridium aquilinum

Bracken Fern

Size : 3-4'

Hardiness :

Growth Habit : Upright, spreading.

Shiny green fronds. Needs good drainage. Fast growth rate.

DR N

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.

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.