Where Ecology and Horticulture Unite
7 Ferns
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Maiden Hair Fern
Adiantum pedatum
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: part, shade
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: well-drained & highly organic
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Delicate, lacy leaves. Black stems. Excellent in shady rock/water gardens.
Lady Fern
Athyrium filix-femina
Height: 1'6"-2'
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: Well-drained, rich loam.
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Rhizomatous. Soft, fine-textured foliage. Vase-shaped form. Protect from afternoon sun.
Ostrich Fern
Matteuccia struthiopteris
Height: 2'-4'
Sun: full, part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: acidic loam
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Vase-shaped form. Large, featherlike fronds. Wonderful for massing or as a specimen.
Sensitive Fern
Onoclea sensibilis
Height: 1'-2'
Sun: full, part, shade
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: humus-rich
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Rhizomatous. Deeply pinnatifid fronds. Found in moist marshes & meadows; sufficient water required in full sun.
Cinnamon Fern
Osmunda cinnamomea
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 2'
Sun: part, shade
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: mesic
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Erect fronds become cinnamon-brown. Found in marshes, swamps, & moist forests. Flood tolerant.
Royal Fern
Osmunda regalis
Height: 3'-6'
Width: 2'-3'
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: organic, sandy/rocky/gravelly, clay, acidic
Bloom Period: June-August
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: Cinnamon-colored spore fronds. Tolerates shallow water.
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'-3'
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: well-drained, humus-rich
Zone: 3-8
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Evergreen/semi-evergreen. Use as an accent or massed as a groundcover.
