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Gerald L. Klingaman
Dryopteridaceae
Athyrium filix-femina
Ladyfern
Ladyfern is a deciduous, terrestrial fern occurring throughout temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Vigorous, elegant and easy to grow, it was a great favorite in gardens of the Victorian era. Its tall, light green, upright to arching fronds are lined with narrow, pointed, finely divided leaflets which have a soft, airy appearance. The stems are typically green, but are sometimes tinted with red-brown. Numerous cultivars of this highly variable fern have been developed, including those with crested, unusually divided, or even tufted, ball-shaped leaflets.
Plant this beautiful, fast growing fern in full to part shade and moist, rich, acid to neutral soil. Regular moisture is particularly beneficial in areas with more sun. In the shaded mixed border, ladyfern looks terrific combined with the bold, horizontal foliage of hostas or other shade-loving perennials. It is also lovely when used as a sweeping groundcover in naturalistic woodland gardens.
9 - 1
4 - 9
A1, A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Fern
Partial Shade, Full Shade
3'-4' / 0.9m - 1.2m
2'-3' / 0.6m - 0.9m
North America, Europe, Russia/Siberia, Asia
Acidic, Neutral
Well Drained
Loam
Medium
Average Water
Upright/Erect
Spring, Summer, Fall
None
Light Green
Green, Light Green
No
Yes
Fine
Matte
Container, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Sometimes
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