About
A robust, deciduous fern that can reach heights of 80 cm or more, Athyrium filix-femina develops a dense clump of bright green, finely divided, bipinnate fronds with lance-shaped leaflets featuring serrated edges. The midrib may appear in shades of red or green, varying among individual plants.
About the genus
Athyrium comprises deciduous ferns characterized by their upright or spreading rhizomes, which support typically pinnate to tripinnate fronds that are often thin in texture. These ferns are particularly well-suited for shaded environments.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full shade, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- North-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Bogs, Ferns
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Wildflower meadow
- Native to
- Temp. N. Hemis.
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Easy to grow in fertile, moist neutral to acid soil enriched with leaf mould or garden compost, in a shady sheltered site. See how to grow ferns for further advice
- Pruning
- Dead or damaged fronds may be removed as necessary
- Propagation
- Propagate by sowing spores in mid to late summer or by division in spring
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free out of doors
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free outdoors