Best Ferns that Enhance Your Garden

New York Fern

The New York Fern is a native, deciduous species with delicate, lacy fronds and a distinctive appearance, commonly found in Eastern North American woodlands. These medium-sized, deciduous plants offer a delightful display of yellow-green fronds that carpet the forest floor. The appearance of this plant is that it is blade-shaped with triangular blades. The plant's blade is most comprehensive in the middle and tapers sharply at both ends. The New York Fern is a type of plant that grows well throughout the eastern part of North America, and it's found in large numbers throughout New York. This perennial might just be what you need to fill certain spaces in your yard that would benefit from greenery but might not as be as friendly towards some of the flowers that currently occupy your space. Let's see why this plant might be a good fit in your current landscape. New York Fern Reduces Soil Erosion and Weed Growth These plants are typically used as groundcover in areas where grass and other plants don't do as well. As a result, filling these spaces comes with some benefits. First, this plant takes root to prevent soil erosion in areas where soil isn't being kept in place by root systems. As an added benefit, the growth of this lush green plant throughout your yard makes it difficult for weeds to take root, preventing unwanted weed growth. New York Fern Can Improve the Air Quality Around You These plants are adept at capturing pollutants from the air and making it so that you can breathe a bit easier and enjoy your outdoor space. If you're someone who's constantly being bothered by dust or pollen, consider adding this plant to your landscape along with others that are known to improve air quality. The New York Fern Is a Good Cover for Wildlife Without the Risk of Being Eaten Biodiversity is important on any property, and you'll find that this plant is a friend to local wildlife. For example, this ground cover is known to serve as a great cover for certain animals like toads. The better news? It's not a plant that's typically sought after by larger animals like deer, which means that it will provide cover for other animals until the cold weather comes in. Grows Fast and Gets Thicker With Time This plant is a fast-growing plant that will quickly establish itself in your space, and trailing rhizomes will constantly be shooting up additional fronds that provide an even thicker look to your space. If you're looking for something that's hard to ruin and will start thriving in certain spaces almost immediately, this is the ground cover to go with.

Fiddlehead Fern

Fiddlehead ferns are tightly coiled shoots; nbsp, resembling the scroll of a violin and are often used as a culinary delicacy.The young, coiled fronds of ferns, such as the Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), offer several benefits when landscaping projects. These unique and visually appealing plants have been admired for their charming appearance and practical uses in outdoor spaces. Fiddlehead Fern is native to North America, northern Asia, and Europe. In North America, they are most commonly found in Eastern Canada, southern Alaska, and from Maine to Illinois. Matteuccia Struthiopteris gets its name from the crowns it develops in the spring. These crowns or fonds tend to resemble the heads of violins or feathers. How to Identify Fiddlehead Fern It is popular for its vase shape and tall curled fonds. On average, gardeners can expect them to grow between three and four feet tall and one foot wide. However, once well established, they can grow up to six feet tall and have a width of up to eight feet. They are found naturally in wooded areas that have rivers or streams. It is considered a deciduous perennial that grows upright. They don't develop flowers. Instead, the leaves are bright to medium green. The plant grows its fiddleheads in the spring, and they can reach heights of one and a half feet tall. Where to Plant Fiddlehead Fern in Your Garden They grow well in areas that lack full sun. Gardeners can enjoy planting them in shade gardens, along walls, and around trees and tall shrubs. When the ferns develop their spore-bearing fronds in the summer, gardeners can dry them and use them in flower bouquets or arrangements in vases. Fiddlehead Fern Attracts Wildlife It provides cover for frogs and birds, especially robins, wrens, and wood thrushes, which tend to forage in them. These ferns may also attract turtles, butterflies, and bees. Best Companion Plants for Fiddlehead Fern It grows well next to green ash, Virginia bluebells, wild ginger, swamp buttercup, common elderberry, golden Alexander, and wild blue phlox. They can also be planted under or near the American elm and silver maple tree. They make beautiful additions to shade gardens, and they can help fill empty spaces under trees and around shrubs. They also have around water features and in any area that resembles their natural habitats.