About
This deciduous fern features bipinnate fronds supported by dark reddish stipes. The young fronds emerge in a purple-bronze hue, displaying a darker stripe that runs along the pinnae on both sides of the rachis, which gradually transitions to a silvery-green as they mature.
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, Full sun, 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
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Ferns
- Habit
- Bushy, Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Sub-tropical, Patio and container plants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Prefers a fertile, humus-rich, neutral to acid, moist but well-drained soil in full or dappled shade.
- Pruning
- No pruning required. Cut down fronds as necessary
- Propagation
- Propagate by division in spring
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free