HARDY FERNS
Ferns are a diverse group of non-flowering plants, celebrated for their lush, feathery foliage. Found in a wide range of habitats, from tropical rainforests to temperate woodlands, ferns thrive in moist, shaded environments but include species adapted to sun and dry conditions. Their leaves, or fronds, vary from finely divided and delicate to bold and leathery, with shapes ranging from simple to highly intricate patterns.
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Adiantum venustum
Himalayan Maidenhair Fern
____________________Dense clumps of semi-evergreen, fine-textured, triangular green fronds with fan-shaped leaflets on blackish stems.
Height: 6 to 12 inches tall
Width: Spreads slowly via rhizomes to form clumps
Foliage Color: Bright green
Light Requirements: Part shade to full shade
Water Requirements: High -
Asplenium scolopendrium
Hart’s Tongue Fern
___________________Narrow, undivided, lance-shaped fronds with a smooth, glossy texture and rich green color.
Height: 12 to 24 inches
Width: 12 to 24 inches
Foliage color: Glossy dark green, evergreen
Light requirements: Partial shade to full shade
Water requirements: Average -
Athyrium nip. var. pictum 'Regal Red'
Japanese Painted Fern
____________________Finely divided fronds edged in silvery green with a rich burgundy-red midrib that deepens through the season.
Height: 12 to 18 inches tall
Width: 18 to 24 inches wide
Foliage color: Silvery-green with maroon stems and veins
Light requirements: Partial to full shade
Water requirements: Moderate to high -
Blechnum chilense
Chilean Hard Fern
____________________Native to Chile and parts of western South America, this thrives in temperate woodland environments.
Height: 3 to 5 feet
Width: 3 to 5 feet
Foliage color: Evergreen; new fronds emerge orange-bronze, maturing to dark green
Light requirements: Partial shade to full shade
Water requirements: Regular -
Blechnum penna-marina
Alpine Water Fern
____________________Lush, feathery fronds that may develop a rusty bronze or reddish hue in colder months.
Height: 12 to 24 inches
Width: 12 to 18 inches
Foliage color: Dark green
Light requirements: Part shade to full shade
Water requirements: Moderate -
Blechnum spicant
Deer Fern
____________________Dark green, leathery sterile fronds forming a low rosette, while upright, slender fertile fronds add texture and contrast.
Height: 12 to 24 inches
Width: 12 to 24 inches
Foliage color: Glossy dark green, evergreen
Light requirements: Part shade to full shade
Water requirements: Medium -
Cryptomium fortunei
Fortune’s Holly Fern
____________________Holly-like, deeply lobed, glossy green fronds that develop an upright, arching habit.
Height: 1 to 2 feet tall
Width: 1 to 2 feet wide
Foliage color: Glossy, dark green
Light requirements: Partial to full shade
Water requirements: Moderate -
Cyrtomium falcatum 'Rochfordianum'
Rochford’s Holly Fern
____________________Unlike many ferns, 'Rochfordianum' is more drought-tolerant and requires less water than traditional varieties.
Height: 18 to 24 inches
Width: 24 to 36 inches
Foliage color: Glossy, dark green, holly-like fronds with coarsely fringed margins
Light requirements: Partial shade to full shade
Water requirements: Average to low -
Dryopteris affinis 'Revolvens'
Gold-scaled Male Fern
____________________Broad, finely divided, glossy green fronds with a graceful arching habit.
Height: 24 to 48 inches
Width: 24 to 36 inches
Foliage color: Glossy, dark green, upright fronds
Light requirements: Partial shade to full shade
Water requirements: Moderate -
Dryopteris championii
Champion’s Wood Fern
____________________Fronds have a leathery texture and a slightly crinkled appearance, giving the plant a lush, layered look throughout the year.
Height: 2 to 3 feet
Width: 2 to 3 feet
Foliage color: Glossy, dark green, triangular fronds; new growth emerges bright green
Light requirements: Partial shade to full shade
Water requirements: Regular -
Dryopteris dilatata 'Recurvata'
Weeping Broad Buckler Fern
____________________Dramatically arching, deep green fronds with a unique recurved shape, forming a vase-like habit.
Height: 18 to 24 inches tall
Width: 18 to 24 inches wide
Foliage color: Glossy green fronds with recurved tips
Light requirements: Partial to full shade
Water requirements: Moist, well-drained soil -
Dryopteris erythrosora
Autumn Fern
____________________New fronds are coppery pink to bronze that mature to glossy deep green.
Height: 18 to 30 inches
Width: 18 to 30 inches
Foliage color: Copper-red, maturing to glossy deep green
Light requirements: Part shade to full shade
Water requirements: Medium -
Dryopteris x complexa 'Robust'
Buckler Fern
____________________Finely divided, leathery green fronds with a ruffled texture, forming a bold, vase-shaped structure.
Height: 24 to 48 inches
Width: 24 to 36 inches
Foliage color: Dark green, ruffled and arching fronds
Light requirements: Partial shade to full shade
Water requirements: Moderate -
Polystichum munitum
Western Sword Fern
____________________Bold, arching fronds and dense, deep green leaflets provides textured greenery year-round.
Height: 2 to 4 feet tall
Width: 3 to 4 feet wide
Foliage color: Dark green, leathery fronds
Light requirements: Partial shade to full shade
Water requirements: Moderate -
Polystichum polyblepharum
Japanese Tassel Fern
____________________Finely cut, dark green, glossy fronds form a dense, rounded clump.
Height: 12 to 24 inches
Width: 12 to 24 inches
Foliage Color: Dark green and glossy
Light Requirements: Partial to full shade
Water Requirements: Regular -
Polystichum setiferum
Alaskan Fern
____________________Finely textured, feathery, lance-shaped fronds that start light green and mature to deep green.
Height: 24 to 36 inches
Width: 24 to 36 inches
Foliage color: Soft-textured, glossy dark green, evergreen
Light requirements: Part shade to full shade
Water requirements: Average -
Polystichum setiferum 'Pulcherrimum Bevis'
Pulcherrimum Bevis Soft Field Fern
____________________Soft, finely divided, rich green fronds with a subtle sheen.
Height: 24 to 36 inches
Width: 24 to 36 inches
Foliage color: Deep green, finely textured and lacy
Light requirements: Partial to full shade
Water requirements: Moderate -
Polystichum x dycei
Dyce’s Holly Fern
____________________Glossy, dark green, bipinnate, lance-shaped fronds that arch gracefully.
Height: 18 to 36 inches
Width: 24 to 48 inches
Foliage color: Glossy dark green, evergreen
Light requirements: Partial shade to full shade
Water requirements: Medium