Lady Fern - Athyrium filix-femina
Great for naturalizing and for sun or shade, plus it's easy to grow and deer and rabbit resistant.
| Lady Fern | Perennial |
|---|---|
| Bloom Time | Late Summer to Fall |
| Light | Full Sun To Full Shade |
| Water | Average to Rich -Moist |
| Diseases | Rust |
| Pests | Relatively Pest Free |
| Propagation | Divisions, Spores |
| Color | Brown Fronds |
| Zones | 2 - 9 |
| Features | Attractive foliage, Deer resistant, Naturalizing, Rabbit resistant, Wetlands plant |
Lady Fern: A beautiful, elegant fern that performs gracefully in shady gardens or woodland settings.
Plant several for a groundcover effect in a shaded area. Cut a frond or two to add to cutflower arrangements for a lovely green background.
The Lady Fern is another of my favorites from the fern family. It is an upright perennial that can reach heights from 2 - 5 feet..
The leaves of this beautiful lacy fern are bright green and really are very stunning when planted in the shade areas of the garden.
Fronds can measure from 12" wide and 36" in length, covering a lot of real estate in the border. They also fill-in very quickly and give you a nice full area of ground cover.
The frond stalks tend to vary from green to purple or even red in color.
One unique characteristic of the Lady Fern is that they tend to grow in concentric circles out from the parent plant. As the inner circles die out, you have a circle of ferns left. When planted in mass-beds, this tends to be somewhat disguised though.
The fronds are cut twice and grow from a central base. The J-shaped spore casings, or sori, grow on the underside of the leaf.
In the wild, Lady ferns can be found growing in meadows, open thickets, moist woods, and along stream beds. They also grow in the cracks of rocks.
As soon as ripe, sow spores at 70F (21C) for tender species; for hardy species, sow at 59-61F (15-16C).
In early spring, divide and repot clumps of rhizomes.
Lady Fern: Lovely bright yellow green fern with wide, deep cut leaves which tapered at both ends.
This large fern has multiple fronds growing from a central clump. Fronds are deciduous. Anything from full sun to deep shade and moist soil but is heat and humidity tolerant. A real favorite.
Iris:
The swordlike foliage of Siberian iris is a good foil for the osmunda fronds that are enlivened by the colorful iris flowers. Both enjoy moist soil in sun or light shade.
Lobelia:
At waterside, cardinal flower and cinnamon fern are fine companions. Both foliage textures and the jewel colors of cardinal flower make for an interesting scene.
Hosta:
Hosta's bold-textured foliage plays off well against fine-textured ostrich fern fronds in beds and borders.
Lady Fern: The Lady Fern is one of the most graceful plants for shady or sunny spots in your landscape. Lady prefers partial shade and reaches up to 3'. This fern does well in zones 3-8.
One great features of the Lady Fern is that it will tolerate some sun and dry soil. Therefore it is a likely candidate for most any border that you have in your garden - not just a shady location.
Although like most other ferns, the ideal growing condition consist of moist humus soil with light shade to dense shade.
This hardy fern also makes a nice ground cover plant on the north or east side of buildings.
In the wild, Lady Fern grows in moist woods, moist meadows, and swamps and along streams, from lowlands to mid-elevations so if you have a pond or water feature, be sure to add this fern to your bed in that area.
Because of its easy maintenance, there are several cultivated varieties, in various shades.
This deciduous fern is a very low maintenance plant that adds a lot of esthetic value to the landscape. Try planting the fern in a rock garden area, where you will find shoots coming up between the rocks and cracks.
Lady Fern: A gorgeous crested form of the European lady fern. Broadly triangular fronds are crisped and crested creating an elegant appearance. The Athyrium as a group are very heat and humidity tolerant.
Spacing: Space 18" to 24" apart when planting. Although if left in one place for several years you will find that this fern will clump and cover and area between 5 and 7 feet.
Fertilizer: During the growing season, apply a half-strength fertilizer monthly.
Water/Soil Requirements: Needs regular to ample water. Does best with moist, fertile, neutral to acidic soil.
Make sure to enrich soil with leaf mold or compost. During the growing season, water freely; sparingly in winter.
Make sure to enrich soil with leaf mold or compost. During the growing season, water freely; sparingly in winter.
Pruning: Only clean up dead fronds in the fall. Otherwise no maintenance is required for this plant
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