Ferns For The Shade Garden - Part I


Adiantum pedatum (Northern Maidenhair Fern)

The unfurling croziers of the Maidenhair Fern are one of my favorite spring happenings. Each caudex starts out an almost translucent puce color that gradually turns black, while the fronds open a golden green, turning soft olive green on maturity.

I have two clumps; one is at the base of a tree in inhospitable conditions and has not expanded much. The other, by the side of a path, was in deep shade until the demise of a huge oak tree. Now, it gets, and tolerates, a surprising amount of sun - too much, really, as these ferns prefer dappled to fairly heavy shade in moist but well-drained soil. This clump has grown over the years and now occupies about two square feet (60 sq. cm) of space. It is exploring the flagstone path and needs to be divided. Once mature, the fronds form a solid, yet airy, mass, supported by the wiry black caudex. Adiantum pedatum is deciduous and rated hardy to USDA zone 4.

You can propagate Maidenhair fern from spores or by division of the rhizomes. This is best done in late fall or early spring, while the fern is dormant, but can be done almost any time during the growing season if you are very careful to water frequently. Each rhizome section should have at least one frond or bud and be at least two inches (5 cm) long. If the fern is not dormant, cut back all but one frond on each segment.

Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum' [goeringianum] (Japanese Painted Fern)

One of the most beautiful of hardy ferns, this photo does not quite do the Japanese Painted Fern justice. The overall impression of a clump is much more silvery, but the form shown is typical and you get the impression of the shimmery color. I also have the variety 'Pictum Red', which has a deeper wine color in the caudex and veins of the blade. The fronds deserve a really close examination, when you will see the subtle variations in color from the rachis (midrib of the blade; a continuation of the stipe through the blade) and mid-veins. Each blade is silvery in the center, deepening to a soft green at the edges.

To my eye, all ferns are graceful, but this one particularly so with its softly curving fronds. Clumps can reach about 12 to 18 inches (30 - 45 cm)

The copyright of the article Ferns For The Shade Garden - Part I in Shade Gardening is owned by Marge Talt. Permission to republish Ferns For The Shade Garden - Part I in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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