Lady Fern

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

Common Lady Fern

Part shade to full shade; medium to wet moisture level; adaptable to a wide range of soils including clay; moderately acid to neutral pH.

2–4 feet tall and wide; finely cut, arching bright green fronds with a vase-shaped habit; deciduous — fronds brown after frost; spreads by short rhizomes to form colonies and by spore.

Divide in early spring before fronds unfurl; relocate self-sown sporelings when small. Remove old fronds in late winter to tidy appearance before new growth emerges.

Native region: Statewide in Tennessee in moist woodlands, stream banks, and wet meadows.

Lady fern is the most adaptable and fastest-establishing native fern for Middle Tennessee shade gardens, tolerating the heavier clay soils and variable moisture common throughout Maury County better than more finicky species like Adiantum pedatum. It performs well in the consistently moist, shaded sites beside foundations, in low spots, and along drainage swales. The finely textured arching fronds provide a soft contrast to bold-leafed companions like hostas. More sun-tolerant than most shade ferns provided soil moisture is adequate — will grow in morning sun with afternoon shade in a moist site. Fronds may scorch in hot, dry summers; supplemental irrigation at the base prevents this. Deer typically avoid ferns.