Clearing Woods - Ferns and Other Forbs - Part 1

stout, densely scaly, short rhizomes. They are deciduous, collapsing with the first hard frosts. The ones I've found in the woods tend to be smaller than the clump I moved to the garden. They prefer a fertile, woodland type, moist soil and tend to flop when the soil under the trees gets too dry in summer.

For years, I had not identified this fern. Research indicates that it has to be a lady fern. I've also learned that my garden clump is probably in too dry and shady a location to make it really happy. They prefer light to part shade but will take full sun in very moist soil. They usually do best in a slightly acid soil but are adaptable to more alkaline sites.

The genus is a large one with species found throughout most of the temperate world. It includes the very lovely and popular Japanese painted fern, Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'.

A. filix-femina is quite common and found in the British Isles, India, China, Japan, North Africa, Canada, North America, Mexico and Peru.

Propagation is by spring division of clumps and spores. Apparently, they don't always come true from spore, giving rise to new forms and a fair amount of confusion in the naming of cultivars.

More than three hundred cultivars of the lady fern have been named over the past century. Some of them have incredible crested, congested or otherwise interestingly shaped fronds. Following are a few I've found with images on the web, to incite your lust:

• Athyrium filix-femina 'Fancy Fronds', introduced by Judith Jones and named after her nursery.
• Athyrium filix-femina 'Frizelliae', Tatting Fern - 4-8" pinnae form balls along the midrib of the frond. It was found by a Mrs. Frizell in County Wicklow, Eire in 1857 (hence the botanical name). The circular lobes formed by the pinnae resemble tatting or handmade lace - thus he common name. Since it has less leaf surface, it can tolerate drier sites.
• Athyrium filix-femina var. cyclosorum
• Athyrium filix-femina 'Vernonia cristatum' 20-24" frilled fronds on deep green, mahogany stems. First raised by Mr. Jones from 'Vernonia', which was found by a Mrs. Vernon in the mid eighteen hundreds.
• Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum
• Athyrium filix-femina 'Minutissimum' 4-12" dwarf form of species that Martin Rickard says is often imported from Holland and not, necessarily very dwarf in form. If you get this one, make
  The copyright of the article Clearing Woods - Ferns and Other Forbs - Part 1 in Shade Gardening is owned by Marge Talt. Permission to republish Clearing Woods - Ferns and Other Forbs - Part 1 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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