Ferns

NOTE: to search the list below press the “Ctrl” and “F” keys on your keyboard at the same time. Then type the name of the plant you are looking for (botanical or common name) and press enter.

Botanical Name	Common Name	Description
Adiantum pedatum	Maidenhair Fern	The word ‘delicate’ was made to describe this fern. Flattened sprays of green leaflets on thin, dark stems. 12 to 20 inches tall, clump forming. Part shade to shade, rich moist soils.
Athyrium filix-femina	Lady Fern	Made up of the tiniest of leaflets, or pinnae, the graceful, chartreuse fronds form a vase-shaped bundle. Grows to 20 to 30 inches, likes sun to shade, moist, rich soils, best if well drained.
Athyrium filix-femina ‘Lady in Red’	Lady in Red	A fine selection of lady fern with a vivid red stem contrasting with the yellow-green foliage. Reaches 20 to 30 inches, sun to shade, and moist, rich, well drained soils.
Dennstaedtia punctilobula	Hay-scented Fern	A fern that does a wonderful job covering up large areas. Makes a tough, reliable mass planting in sun or shade. Tends to be aggressive and spreads readily. Great for erosion control. Gets its name from the scent of its crushed leaves. 16 to 24 inche4s tall, sun to shade, and average to very dry. Can tolerate very acid soils.
Dryopteris marginalis	Marginal Shield Fern	An evergreen fern with a tolerance for dry soil. Interesting leathery texture to the fronds. This fern can go from moist to dry, shade to partial sun and grows 18 to 30 inches tall. Has a nice, vase shape.
Matteuccia struthiopteris	Ostrich Fern	Dramatically tall, with a lovely fountain shape that looks great in partial sun or shade. Make this the backdrop of your newest planting. Dark green fronds that emerge from a central crown. Fertile fronds form a beaded plume persistent through winter. Fertile, moist to wet soils, occasional standing water is ok. The best source for delicious fiddleheads!
Onoclea sensibilis	Sensitive Fern	You have likely seen this hardy spreader on roadsides and driveways. It is great for areas made difficult by salt application or runoff. Pale green triangular fronds 12 to 36 inches tall. Fertile fronds appear in summer but die back with the first frost. The fruiting body remains as an interesting winter feature. Sun (if constantly moist) to shade. Average to wet soils.
Osmunda cinnamomea	Cinnamon Fern	A fern distinguished by its beautiful, cinnamon-colored fertile frond. The cinnamon fronds rises out of a handsome basin formed by the green-leaved, pinnate fronds. 30 to 60 inches tall, shade to sun (if wet), moist to wet soils.
Osmunda claytoniana	Interrupted Fern	The reason for the common name of this fern becomes very apparent when the fertile fronds begin to come out in late spring. The single, fertile fronds develop spores in dark sacs about midway along the main stem ‘interrupting’ the green leaflets. Grows to between 24 and 48 inches tall, and likes shade to part shade, and moist but well drained soils in upland sites.
Osmunda regalis	Royal Fern	A popular landscaping fern which grows into a large and striking part of your garden. Bluish-green, twice pinnate fronds reach 24 to 60 inches tall. It likes full sun (if kept moist) to shade. Adapts well to your average garden soil but loves moist to wet soils and can be quite happy in standing water.
Polystichum acrostichoides	Christmas Fern	One of the most familiar sights in the CT open woods. This evergreen will add color and style to your plantings all year round. Great in dry, difficult shade. Dark green, leathery, evergreen fronds. 12 to 24 inches tall, liking shade to partial sun (if moist). Rich, moist to dry soils.
Pteridium aquilinum	Bracken Fern	Another fern ready for any conditions. Best used to fill in large areas. We love its unusual color. Three branched fronds at the top of the stem. One to three feet tall, and happy in sun to shade. Great for dry, sandy, infertile soils in open woods. If you see these plants you know the soils are poor!

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