Amp up the shade with these unique evergreen stunners
Jeweled chain fern is unique
Name : Woodwardia unigemmata
Zones:8 to 10
size of it : Stems and fronds up to 6 feet long , cascading
Conditions : Partial shade ; dampish soil
Jeweled chain fern certainly is a treasure , with showy , arching frond that come out in smart as a whip shades of reddish and promptly cascade over a wall or slope . Each frond turn up to 6 feet long and is tipped with a willing - to - root bulbil that the frond is attempting to bring down to accepting soil . These bulbils can be plunk for propagate late in the time of year when they are plump . Place them on moist but not pixilated soil in a pocket-size pot , cover the pile with a clear charge plate cup , put it under lights indoors , and wait for your reinforcement . This specie break the humdrum of unsloped plants and is specially attractive in reach apparent movement to a hillside .
Sunset fern lives up to its name
Name : Dryopteris lepidopoda
Zones:6 to 9
Size:15 to 24 inch tall and 2 feet all-encompassing
condition : Christ Within shade ; humus - rich , moist but not besotted soil
Common epithet vary in utility , but this moniker is a complete pick for this stunning and adaptable species with its warm biased pink / Salmon River / crimson / yellow , vase - shape bounce growth . colored unexampled fronds continue to be produced throughout summer , giving a continuous show and shine to a softly shaded area . With its reliably evergreen physiognomy , sunset fern make an elegant edging to delimitate a woodland way of life or a beckoning focal point to take out folk into a garden . It resemble the colorful Wallich ’s Grant Wood fern ( Dryopteris wallichiana , Zones 5–7 ) but is smaller in height and a tad more cold tolerant . comparatively novel in cultivation , it can be difficult to see on the market , but it is worth every effort , even for a nonfern enthusiast .
Upside-down fern forms a feathery vase
Name : Arachniodes standishii
Zones:5 to 9
Size:2 to 3 feet marvelous and 2 feet wide
weather condition : fond to full spectre ; moist , on the loose , constitutive soil
Upside - down fern shape a sturdy , vase - shaped showing of delicately pattern , lacy foliage in faint shade . The large veins on top of the fronds give this fern its name . There are two type : The Korean reading is somewhat large than the Nipponese version and is the most usual one in cultivation . It makes an attractive contrast to heavy - await evergreens .
Asian saber fern stands up to snow
Name : Polystichum neolobatum
Zones:5 to 8
Size:18 to 30 inches marvellous and 2 infantry wide
condition : illumination to mystifying shade ; moist stain
Not only is Asian saber fern evergreen , but it is also one of only a few fern whose frond will maintain their upright use after being buried in a foot or so of snow . The narrow frond are sheeny and noticeably spiny to the touch . The new spring increment ignite interest with fiddlehead clump that are thickly cake with cosmetic russet exfoliation . It will burn off in the Sunday and does not like to dry out , but otherwise , this fern can be sited in almost any profundity of shade .
They almost take care of themselves
While fern are low-spirited maintenance , they are n’t completely without need . As a fern cultivator , I get asked the same few questions over and over again :
When should I plant ferns?
fern can be plant whenever the dirt is not rooted , but the sound clock time is in other fall , giving them time to get launch before the tension of winter . The essential condition is that fern be kept moist while they acclimatize to their Modern plate and their roots get established . Even drouth - kind types need water throughout their first summer .
Do they need to be fertilized?
fern should be planted in a loose mixture of composted soil with near drainage . Given the proper setting , fertiliser is not necessary , although I allow fallen tree diagram leaves to enrich the soil by remaining as mulch around the plant . And never add together lime tree to the fern garden .
Can I divide them?
fern that crawl or grow multiple crowns ( photo , above ) are campaigner for division . The ideal clock time is in fall to give the transplants time to plant without the strain of high temperature and before the stress of frigidity . Using a sharp spade , cautiously cut away the offspring . Replant divisions in good soil and partial shade , and keep them watered .
Should I cut back the fronds in spring?
Deciduous fern are self - grooming and will lay their fronds down in fall . Evergreen fern fronds , however , will continue to produce solid food all wintertime , so it is good to leave them be until just prior to their new development in spring . They can then be wham off , but be deliberate not to abbreviate any young fronds .
Do they have any pests?
fern , as luck would have it , have few problem with blighter . bullet and snails will find oneself vulnerable fresh growth appetizing and should be discouraged with early applications of slug bait . circulate the bait at a distance so as not to attract the piranha to your delicacies . Aphids are rare but , again , are appeal to delicate young growth . They can be repelled with a blue-blooded spray from your hosiery . cervid do n’t normally bother ferns ; rabbits , however , weigh ferns and everything else in the garden their personal salad bars .
Chilean hard fern is an architectural wonder
Name : Blechnum chilense
Zones:8 to 11
Size:3 to 5 foot tall , spreading indefinitely
Conditions : fond to deep shade ; moist , well - debilitate grunge
Chilean call this fernlas costillas de la vaca , or ribs of the cow — an given description . Chilean hard fern is superbly architectural . Its glowing red Modern growth ( which is more large if the fern is not feed and not in nutrient - rich soils ) turns into up - reach , Junoesque stem of fronds . It will tolerate slightly ironic shade but will not be as exuberant . And with its creeping rhizomes , it can , indeed , be full-bodied when well-chosen ( so much so that it is not possible to delineate a width ) . It will spread sky-high but is not aggressive or invading .
Siebold’s wood fern reallyisa fern
Name : Dryopteris sieboldii
Size:30 inches grandiloquent and wide
Conditions : Light spook ; hoummos - racy , moist grime
Siebold ’s Mrs. Henry Wood fern is a plant with a distinguished and unique schema , prompting some visitors to involve , “ Is that really a fern ? ” It ’s a bold and highly ornamental conversation piece that does especially well when further by warmth . In cooler area , it dilate rather late in the season and is moderately stinting in producing its spectacular new foliation . The fronds wait like long daggers and are a pastel gentle - green — particularly attractive when set among driftwood or mossy log or when second by a foliar foil that is light or very dark .
Fortune’s holly fern is as tough as it is bold
Name : Cyrtomium fortunei
Zones:5 to 10
Size:15 inches tall and 18 inches wide
Conditions : fond to full shade ; fertile , hommos - deep , moist , well - drained soil
Fortune ’s holly fern is the most cold-blooded tolerant of the holly ferns ( Cyrtomiumspp . , zone 5–11 ) . The holly allusion denote to the strange shape of the fern ’s pinnae , which , with some imaging , can be said to resemble holly leave . It does give the genus an appearance far unlike from the unimaginative lace - fronded fern and makes this species an excellent choice for providing an interesting demarcation to the refined visual aspect of more traditional fern . This is an excellent choice for mystifying shade , where its wan green evergreen plant foliar rosettes bring a lightness to their surround . As with many ferns , it makes a gracious foil for leap - blossom flowers . And when placed out of the sun , it also spend a penny an easy - to - defend indoor plant .
Himalayan maidenhair fern forms a frilly carpet
Name : Adiantum venustum
Zones:5 ( with protection ) to 9
Size:12 to 15 inches improbable , creeping indefinitely
Conditions : Partial shade ; moist , well - drain soil
Unlike our more familiar clump - forming aboriginal maidenhair fern fern ( Adiantum aleuticumandA. pedatum , Zones 3–8 ) , this species will sneak slowly but not aggressively to form an elegant , fine - textured , evergreen carpet . Despite its delicate appearance , Himalayan maidenhair fern is not fussy about soil and home ground , but as with most ferns , it expand in sink in shade and composted soil . In spring , fresh fronds appear first as pale blushful tendrils that unfurl slow and are n’t unremarkably affected by late frosts . While not necessary for the health of the plant , the old frond can be ignore back before fountain to tidy up up the plant life . This fern can be part in fall , but small pieces do not reestablish well , so take substantial divisions .
Sources
The next mail - order plant sellers offer the broad excerption of the ferns featured :
Fancy Fronds Nursery , Gold Bar , Wash. ; 360 - 793 - 1472 ; fancyfrondsnursery.com
Foliage Gardens , Bellevue , Wash. ; 425 - 747 - 2998 ; foliagegardens.com
flora Delights Nursery , Raleigh , N.C. ; 919 - 772 - 4794 ; plantdelights.com
Sebright Gardens , Salem , Ore. ; 503 - 463 - 9615 ; sebrightgardens.com
Sue Olsen is the possessor of Foliage Gardens in Bellevue , Washington , and the writer ofEncyclopedia of Garden Ferns .
Photos , except where noted : courtesy of Sue Olsen ; p. 44 , millettephotomedia.com ; p. 45 , courtesy of Richie Steffen / Great Plant Picks ; p. 46 ( top ) , good manners of Casa Flora ; p. 48 ( top ) , courtesy of Sebright Gardens ; p. 49 , Michelle Gervais
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