ADIANTUM pedatum

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’    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 ‘Minutissimum’ (Dwarf Lady Fern) New     A compact clone of the native Lady Fern that quickly develops a lush cover of soft, rich green fonds, 6-12ins. tall and wide. Zone 4.

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.

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 ‘Regal Red’    A very showy Japanese Painted Fern with silvery fronds colored dark violet-red at their interiors. 18” tall.

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 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.

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

Matteuccia struthiopteris ‘Jumbo’    With its grand vase-shaped habit of tall, gracefully arching fronds, this Ostrich fern present a very serene, architecturally pleasing display. However, like all Ostrich ferns, it does tend to colonize rapidly by underground stems and this can be a problem if it’s used in formal, mixed beds. It can also be a great asset when it is planted in areas where it grows best, such as swamps, river and pond banks and moist woodlands, and given free rein to run wild and beautiful places that would present a challenge to other less rugged survivors. Large and impressive, reaching anywhere from 4-6’ high or even higher. Completely hardy and indestructable.    

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

Osmunda regalis      The Royal Fern is a large, stately fern well suited for specimen planting. Fronds are unlike those of many other ferns in being doubly compound, (they always remind me of scaled down Honeylocust leaves), and of a bright green to yellow green color, clumped together with an open, regal air. Fall color is a definite asset as fronds turn an intense yellow or yellow-amber in autumn. Also attractive are the tall, russet colored spore-bearing panicles that rise from the center of the clump. This fern likes water and acid soil and does especially well near ponds and streams but also in consistently moist, acidic garden soil. Completely hardy. Zone 3.

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 makinoi (Makinoi's Holly Fern)New    Glossy, olive-green, evergreen fronds with a neat, formal appearance, 24-30ins. tall. Zone 3.