ADIANTUM pedatum

ADIANTUM  Maidenhair ferns enjoy cool, moist, shady locations. All forms are graceful and delicate. Lovely in mass plantings.

ADIANTUM pedatum (Maidenhair Fern)   Dainty, fan-shaped leaves create a delicate appearance that belies this plant's hardiness. Graceful 12-20" fronds. Clump-forming. Native. Zone 2.

 

ATHYRIUM angustum forma rubellum 'Lady in Red'   An attractive form of Lady Fern with bright red stems the color of ruby chard and deep green foliage. Color intensifies as the plant matures. Avoid nitrogen fertilizer for best color. Deciduous, 30-36" high. Zone 3-8.

ATHYRIUM filix-femina 'Dre's Dagger'New Thin green fronds unusually criss-crossed and narrowly pointed at the tips. Delicate and slower growing than other Lady ferns. 18ins. tall. Zone 3.

filix-femina 'Frizelliae'New One of the most distinctive ferns, having narrow fronds on which the pinnae .(leaflets), are rolled up tightly together taking on the look of delicate beads strung on a necklace. Zone 3.

               

filix-femina x niponicum 'Ghost'   Clump forming and rigidly upright to 3ft. Fronds have a similar pattern to those of the Japanese Painted Fern but with a more pronounced silver overlay.

filix-femina 'Plumosum Axminster' New Very lacy, frilly, apple-green form of the native lady fern that will brighten up any shady area. 30ins. high.

niponicum 'Burgundy Lace'  Rich burgundy fronds with silver stripes along the veins and at the tips of the pinnae, (leaflets), turning silvery green with purple midribs. Be patient, for it may take a couple of years for the rich, full color to solidify. Well worth the wait!

niponicum 'Pictum' (Japanese Painted Fern)     Tri-colored fronds of burgundy, silver and dark green grow in a beautiful mound, 18-24". Zone 4.

niponicum pictum 'Applecourt'   The best attributes of the Japanese painted fern, with additional, heavy cresting of each frond creating a fuller more delicate appearance. 16-20ins. tall.  We like the full, compact look of this little beauty.

niponicum pictum 'Pewter Lace'Green foliage with silver highlights and red stems and veins.

niponicum 'Red Beauty'   Similar to the popular A. niponicum 'Pictum' in having tri-colored, silver, red and green fronds, but unique for its brighter red stems and central veins. We like it a lot and feel that it's one of the best hardy ferns available.

BLECHNUM spicant

DENNSTAEDTIA punctiloba (Hay-scented Fern)    Light green, soft, airy textured fronds belie the tough-as-nails, tenacious, aggressive nature of this fern. As far as we can tell, it is indestructible and unstoppable almost anywhere in light shade to full sun, on wet or dry, rich or not-so-rich soil. We would recommend it for groundcover use only and, indeed, in this application it can be most effective, even spectacular, creating large, delicately textured drifts. 18-24ins. high. Zone 4.

DRYOPTERIS All prefer a moist situation. Semi-evergreen and evergreen varieties should be protected from drying winter winds.

cycadina (atratal) Shaggy Shield Fern New 2-3ft. high with a creeping rhizome. Attractive dark green fronds with a sharply contrasting dark brown mid vein, evergreen. A distinctive fern with a smooth, crisp appearance. Asian native. Zone 5.

erythrosora (Autumn Fern) 18-24", coppery colored new growth matures to a deep glossy green, with a lovely display of color in the fall—bright red in cold climates. Evergreen, remains erect all through the winter, and should be protected from drying winter winds. Zone 5.

erythrosors 'Brilliance'   Lustrous young orange fronds light up against the glossy, deeper green coloring of the mature fronds. Best leaf color is achieved in bright morning light followed by afternoon shade. 15ins. tall.

marginalis (Leatherwood Fern) 1-2' dark blue-green , evergreen fronds. Very attractive and sturdy, zone 4. 

GYMNOCARPIUM dryopteris 'Plumosum' New 8-10in. plumed form of the native Oak Fern. Chartreuse fronds make this one of the showiest, especially in spring. Needs limey, moist soil with higher pH, (6.5-7).

MATTEUCCIA pennsylvanica (American Ostrich Fern)  4' erect, arching fronds create a graceful and elegant statement in the shady border. Moist soil but not standing water, zone 4. Can actually take quite a bit of sun if given sufficient moisture..

OSMUNDA cinnamonea (Cinnamon Fern)   2½', new growth resembles cinnamon sticks which then become enveloped in medium green fronds. Zone 3.

OSMUNDA regalis var. spectablis New Segments are thinner and more widely spaced than on 'regalis'. Native to acidic swamps across much of North America. Zone2.

PHYLLITIS scolopendrium 'Cristatum' New 1ft. high, bright green, leathery evergreen fronds with wavy tips.  Zone 5.

POLYPODIUM vulgare New 3-10ins. high with narrowly erect, medium green, lance-shaped' evergreen fronds.  Tolerates alkaline or acidic soil. Produces new fronds in early summer. Zone 5.

POLYSTICHUM acrostichoides (Christmas Fern)    2' high and wide, with dark green, evergreen fronds. The more moisture, the more sun it can tolerate.  In photo, plants are making themselves at home in a crevice in a granite boulder in southern Vermont. Zones 3-9.

POLYSTICHUM braunii New 1-2ft. tall native fern with new fronds produced in a spectacular, silvery flush.  Evergreen. Zone 3.

polyblepharum Japanese Tassel Fern New 1-2ft. high with very showy, dark green fronds all year.  Evergreen. Zone 5.

polyblepharum setiferum 'Congestum'New A dwarf, evergreen fern with congested, erect, dusky grayish-green fronds that are crested and have overlapping pinnae. 6-12ins. high. Zone 5.

WOODSIA obtusa New Compact, reaching only 6-9ins., with gray-green fronds. Prefers well drained, neutral to alkaline soils, in shade.  Zone 6.

                                             .