Sun Ferns

Buy Sun Ferns Online From a Tennessee Nursery

Most ferns grow in shade, but a handful of hardy native ferns can take full sun or several hours of direct light, as long as their roots stay moist. They bring soft, feathery texture to sunny borders, rain gardens, pond edges and open slopes where shade ferns would scorch. TN Nursery has grown and shipped plants from McMinnville, Tennessee, since 1959, so every sun fern you order comes from a family farm rather than a warehouse. Most start at $17.99 for 3 plants.

How to Choose Ferns for Sun

• What’s your growing zone? Use the zone filter above. In zones 7 and warmer, even sun-tolerant ferns do best with afternoon shade.
• How wet is the soil? Moisture matters more than sunlight. A fern that thrives in full sun beside a pond will crisp in the same sun on dry ground.
• Do you want it to spread? Bracken, sensitive and ostrich ferns spread by underground runners. That’s ideal for filling a slope, but plan for it in a tidy border.

Best Ferns for Full Sun

Bracken Fern is the toughest sun fern we grow. It handles full sun and drier soil better than any other, and it spreads quickly to cover open ground. Sensitive Fern takes full sun in wet soil, which makes it a natural fit for rain gardens, ditches and pond banks. Fiddlehead Fern (ostrich fern) grows tall, vase-shaped fronds over 2 feet and tolerates sun in cooler zones when kept moist.

Ferns for Part Sun

Cinnamon fern and New York fern both handle morning sun with afternoon shade, and they come together in our Hardy Fern Trio with Christmas fern. It’s an easy way to try three natives at once in a bed that gets a few hours of light.

How to Keep Sun Ferns Healthy

Water new ferns deeply two or three times a week through their first summer. Add 2–3 inches of mulch to hold moisture and keep roots cool. If fronds turn pale or brown at the edges in midsummer, the plant needs more water or a little afternoon shade. Cut back old fronds in late winter, before new fiddleheads unroll.

When Sun Ferns Ship

We ship sun ferns bare root, freshly dug and packed ready for planting. Fall and early spring are the best times to plant, so roots settle in before summer heat. See our planting instructions for step-by-step help, or browse ferns for shade and our full fern collection .

FAQ

Do ferns need sun? Ferns need some light, but most prefer shade or filtered sun. A few native ferns, including bracken, sensitive and ostrich fern, can grow in full sun if their soil stays moist.

Can ferns take full sun? Some can. Bracken fern handles full sun and drier soil. Sensitive fern and ostrich fern take full sun only in consistently moist or wet soil. Most woodland ferns will scorch in full sun.

What is the best fern for full sun? Bracken fern is the most sun- and drought-tolerant. For wet, sunny spots, sensitive fern is the best choice.

What happens if ferns get too much sun? Fronds turn pale, then brown and crispy at the edges, and the plant may go dormant early. Water more often, mulch the roots, or move the fern somewhere with afternoon shade.

Can Boston ferns take full sun? No. Boston fern is a tender tropical fern. Outdoors, give it morning sun at most and bright shade the rest of the day.

Do you ship sun ferns outside Tennessee? Yes. We grow in Tennessee and ship nationwide.

What if my plant doesn’t arrive alive? Every order comes with our live-arrival guarantee. See our warranty for details.