8 Easy Ferns to Grow: A Complete Guide for Beginners
For ferns that ask for little from you and give you great results in the garden‚ the New York fern‚ hay-scented fern‚ and lady fern are hard to beat․ They thrive in our clay soil‚ are not bothered by the humidity‚ and don’t harbor fungus․ They come back year after year in all zones from 3 to 9․ But there’s more to know before you start digging․
People say ferns can be difficult‚ but that’s a misnomer․ More often than not‚ people are trying to grow tropical ferns in a garden that’s too cold‚ or putting a shade fern in full sun and wondering why the fronds are fried by July․ If you select the right species for your conditions‚ your ferns can be some of the most carefree plants you can put into the ground․
Why Ferns Work So Well in Tennessee Gardens
Nevertheless‚ Tennessee’s climate is typically good for ferns with spring and early summer rainfall․ The state’s air is humid‚ but winter is cold enough to provide dormancy without freezing the roots․ Most hardy ferns are in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 8‚ which is from the Tennessee mountains around Johnson City (zone 4) to Memphis (zone 8)․
Our naturally acidic clay is easily amended with organic matter and becomes the leaf-litter-rich forest floor that ferns evolved to inhabit․ You need not fight your native soil; just add a little compost or aged leaf mold and ensure good drainage․
New York Fern
The New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis) spreads asexually through subterranean rhizomes‚ forming wide-ranging colonies rather than clumped patches․ The leaves taper at both ends‚ giving them a lanceolate shape with a texture finer than that of most native ferns․ Color is a pale yellow-green that somewhat livens up shady understory areas that can feel dark․
It’s a good spreader: If you have a woodland slope or a shady spot beneath older oaks where nothing else seems to thrive‚ the New York fern will fill it in two or three growing seasons․ Not aggressive enough to really be an issue in the average home landscape‚ though give it room and don’t put it in a narrow border bed․
It will thrive in part to full shade in constantly moist but not soggy conditions․ Under a hardwood canopy‚ it tolerates deep shade better than almost any of the other native ferns we grow․ It typically reaches a height between 1 and 2 feet․
Hay-Scented Fern
Crush a frond of hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) and you will discover the source of that name: the aroma of a sweet‚ freshly cut hayfield․ The plant’s blue-green leaves turn soft gold with the autumn chill of October and November․
These ferns can grow 2 feet (0․61 m) tall and up to 7 feet (2․1 m) wide making it one of the best fern ground covers․ It handles more sunlight than most ferns do‚ in fact tolerating dappled shade and even a few hours of direct morning sun․ This flexibility is an advantage on the edges of woodlands as light levels vary․
Once established‚ hay-scented fern is drought tolerant․ Give it a full growing season of regular watering‚ and it survives Tennessee’s dry spells in August like an old pro․ The good news for those of us gardening near the wood line? Deer aren’t interested․
Lady Fern
Lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina) offers greater color variety‚ with some cultivars having green‚ very dark purple or reddish stalks․ The filigree-like‚ delicate fronds shimmer in the shade․ The bright‚ light green fronds turn golden yellow after the first hard frost and die down in winter․
This is the fern most people think of when they think ““classic woodland fern””․․․ lacy‚ upright‚ elegant without being fussy․ Perfect if planted as a specimen plant near a shady entryway‚ or in drifts along a shaded pathway․ Cut fronds also last well in flower arrangements‚ unlike most fern species that are used in this way․
An interesting fact is that lady fern may produce edible fiddleheads early in the season‚ before the fronds have fully opened․ Some forage for these edible fiddleheads and experimental chefs sometimes pan-fry‚ stir-fry or add them to soups․ If you’re cultivating lady fern for this purpose‚ harvest the young coiled-up fronds‚ which are a few inches tall; the older they grow‚ the tougher and more toxic they are․
Christmas Fern
Another worthy candidate is Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)‚ evergreen through Tennessee winters‚ providing green fronds in January‚ when all of the other plants are dormant in a shade garden․ It is slower to grow and forms a clump or tussock‚ and will remain in place once planted․ Deer resistant‚ drought tolerant and one of the toughest native ferns for harsh shade once established․
Basic Care That Applies to All of These
When to plant: In Tennessee: spring and fall plantings are both satisfactory․ Spring planting will give the roots a full growing season before the summer heat․ Fall planting gives roots the advantage of cooler soil and more reliable fall rains․
Soil: Work 2-3 inches of compost or aged leaf mold into the top 6 - 8 (inches) of the soil before planting․ This is everything (well‚ almost)․ Ferns prefer soil that is rich‚ well-drained‚ and regularly moist with high organic content․
Watering: Regularly moisture is needed for newly established plants to maintain moisture in the first full growing season; about 1 inch (25 mm) of water per week‚ if no rain falls․ Drought tolerance varies between species․ Most are fairly drought tolerant after the first season; hay-scented and Christmas fern being more tolerant than New York fern․
Light: Part to full shade for all four; morning sun is generally okay for them‚ but hot afternoon sun will burn all but the toughest․
No protection is needed in zones 5-8 in winter․ A mulch over the root zone in late autumn is advisable in the coldest zones․ It is not usually necessary․
Division: Established clumps can be divided every 3 to 4 years in early spring․ This leads to more vigorous colonies and free plants for other parts of the garden․
Getting Started
We grow and ship New York fern‚ hay-scented fern‚ lady fern‚ and several other native ferns as good healthy well-rooted plants ready for the garden here in Tennessee․ If you have a shaded slope‚ woodland edge‚ or an area of the yard where none of the other plants seem to thrive‚ one of these four ferns is almost certain to be the answer․․․ and once established‚ they’ll ask very little of you in return․
