Ferns

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Ferns are an often overlooked landscaping plant that can add a tropical feel to any yard or garden.  Most ferns are easy to grow and deal well with either sun or partial shade, though they thrive best in cool, moist locations.  Part of the fun of growing ferns is that there are so many different varieties, colors and styles to choose from. The colors can range from silver green to blue-green to dark green to copper or red and many shades in between. 

Ferns can be evergreen or deciduous and take well to rich, loose, acid soil and lots of water. When a fern forms new fronds it sends up little curved shoots that are often referred to as "fiddleheads" because of their resemblance to the curved scrolls at the top of a fiddle or violin. These scrolls then unfurl and grow to become the fronds of the fern. Most ferns' fronds last anywhere from 6 months to a year and then will dry out or become tattered looking. When this happens you should clip the frond back to the base of the fern.

In addition to traditional ferns, there are also climbing ferns. These ferns are typically tropical ferns that differ from regular ferns in that their fronds are on long, twining stems. The japanese climbing fern is probably one of the most well known climbing ferns, however it is considered to be an invasive weed in the many parts of the country. It grows at an alarming rate to heights of 30 feet or more in the wild and blankets the native vegetation.

Ferns have been gaining in popularity and the Japanese painted fern (pictured right) was the named perennial of the year by the Perennial Plant Association in 2004. The Japanese painted fern is an easy to grow, showy fern with fronds up to 24 inches. The fronds themselves are shades of silver green, blue green and dark green, and the midrib and stems are burgundy, making it a beautiful addition to a garden. This fern is quite popular in large part because it is hardy in so many parts of the country. The only places it doesn't grow well are in the desert and in the northernmost parts of zone 3 in the United States. If you are new to growing ferns the Japanese painted fern would be a good choice to start with because it is so easy to grow.

There are many other varieties and styles of ferns to choose from. Check out your local nursery for a selection of ferns that will grow well in your climate and have fun growing them!