Lady Fern, Athyrium felix-feminand, have yellow-green to medium green fronds with feathery blade pairs. The upper blades of the Lady Fern are long-tapering and ascending. Plants spread slowly to form dense clumps. Under the right conditions lady ferns will continue to send up new fronds into the summer.
How to Grow: Lady ferns are one of the easiest ferns to grow. They prefer to be grown in part to full shade in average to rich, moist but well-drained soil that is neutral to slightly acid. Plants can be divided and transplanted in spring and early summer, planting the crown at the surface.
Landscape uses: Plant lady ferns in the woodland garden with hostas and other shade plants, or with large flowering plants and shrubs.
Planting Bare Root Ferns
Ferns grow mostly in lightly shaded to full shade areas. They prefer moist, rich
humus soil with a slightly acidic pH (5.3 to 5.5 pH range). Sphagnum peat moss
is good to add to the soil for holding moisture and will add some acid to the soil as it decomposes.
The hole should not only be large enough to hold the frond, but allowing at least an inch or two from the top of the frond to the top of the hole. The smaller ferns, such as Maidenhair, can be planted about 18 to 24 inches apart. Ostrich, Christmas and
Royal Ferns grow larger and should be planted no closer than 24 inches apart.
Top with a good layer of mulch (shredded bark mulch, aged compost or aged manure mix) or a light layer of straw for added moisture and to keep the ground cool. Water
as needed to keep the soil moist.
As the ground warms in late spring, the fronds will begin sprouting.
The question will often come up as to which end is up on the fronds. Sometimes
the tip is visual on the top portion and other times there will be root hairs extending from the bottom. If in doubt, the frond can be planted in a sideways position.
