Alphabetical Plant Listing

Athyrium filix-femina (Lady Fern)

Lady Fern, Female Polypody


Noted for its vigor and superb elegance, Athyrium filix-femina (Lady Fern) is a lovely deciduous fern forming a large rosette of upright to arching, lacy, lance-shaped, fresh-green fronds. The stems are generally green but sometimes display a very interesting red hue. Fast-growing, this fern is easy to grow and perfect for filling gaps between shrubs or under trees. Low maintenance, pest and disease free.

  • Clump-forming, it easily grows up to 1-3 ft. tall (30-90 cm) and 12-30 in. wide (30-75 cm). This plant naturalizes well and can form great colonies if happy.
  • Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society for its outstanding qualities
  • A part to full shade lover, it is best grown in fertile, humus-rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils. Do not allow the soil to dry out. More tolerant of drier soils than most other ferns. Will tolerate full sun, if consistent moisture is provided. Provide a sheltered location.
  • This plant is a great choice for shady beds, borders, underplanting of shrubs, cottage gardenswoodlands, rain gardens, or along streams, ponds, or water gardens.
  • Rabbit, deer, clay, and wet soil tolerant!
  • Dead or damaged fronds may be removed as necessary.
  • Propagate by sowing spores in mid to late summer or by division in spring
  • Native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere

Not sure which Athyrium - Lady Ferns to pick?
Compare All Athyrium - Lady Ferns

Buy Athyrium filix-femina (Lady Fern)

Requirements

Hardiness 4 – 9
Heat Zones 1 – 9
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, A1, A2, A3
Plant Type Ferns
Plant Family Athyrium - Lady Ferns
Exposure Partial Sun, Shade
Season of Interest Spring (Mid,Late)
Summer (Early,Mid,Late)
Fall
Height 1' – 3' (30cm – 90cm)
Spread 1' – 3' (30cm – 90cm)
Spacing 30" (75cm)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Plant of Merit, Showy
Native Plants United States, Alaska, California, Midwest, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Northeast, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Rocky Mountains, Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Southeast, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Southwest, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Tolerance Clay Soil, Deer, Rabbit, Wet Soil
Garden Uses Beds and Borders, Ponds and Streams, Rain Gardens, Underplanting Roses and Shrubs
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Traditional Garden

Buy Plants

Guides with Athyrium - Lady Ferns


Shutterstock

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.


Requirements

Hardiness 4 – 9
Heat Zones 1 – 9
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, A1, A2, A3
Plant Type Ferns
Plant Family Athyrium - Lady Ferns
Exposure Partial Sun, Shade
Season of Interest Spring (Mid,Late)
Summer (Early,Mid,Late)
Fall
Height 1' – 3' (30cm – 90cm)
Spread 1' – 3' (30cm – 90cm)
Spacing 30" (75cm)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Plant of Merit, Showy
Native Plants United States, Alaska, California, Midwest, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Northeast, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Rocky Mountains, Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Southeast, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Southwest, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Tolerance Clay Soil, Deer, Rabbit, Wet Soil
Garden Uses Beds and Borders, Ponds and Streams, Rain Gardens, Underplanting Roses and Shrubs
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Traditional Garden

Guides with Athyrium - Lady Ferns

Plant Calculator

How many Athyrium filix-femina (Lady Fern) do I need for my garden?

%
ft
ft

Your Shopping List

Plant Quantity
Athyrium filix-femina (Lady Fern)

Find your Hardiness Zone

Find your Climate Zone

Find your Heat Zone

Join Gardenia.net

Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

Join now and start creating your dream garden!

Create a New Collection

Optional. For your reference.


Move Selected Plants to a Different Collection


Delete Collection

This field is required.

Rename Collection

This field is required.