Shade Loving Native Ferns for Your Landscape

Have a nice shady spot you’d like to establish some native ferns in? Like to know what your best choices are for it? This article will highlight some of the best shade loving native ferns for your garden or landscape.

Adiantum pedatum L. (Northern Maidenhair Fern)

Kingdom Plantae – Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants

Division Pteridophyta – Ferns

Class Filicopsida –

Order Polypodiales –

Family Pteridaceae – Maidenhair Fern family

Genus Adiantum L. – maidenhair fern

Species Adiantum pedatum L. – northern maidenhair

This fern grows to 12-18 inches high and needs to be spaced about 9-12 inches apart. It prefers partial to full shade in moist, well drained, alkaline soil. It is grown for its foliage, and is a beautiful light, delicate, airy fern. It has yellow fall foliage and nearly black stems, with no discernable flowers. You can propagate this fern by dividing the rootball.

Asplenium platyneuron (L.) B.S.P. (Ebony Spleenwort)

Kingdom Plantae – Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants

Division Pteridophyta – Ferns

Class Filicopsida –

Order Polypodiales –

Family Aspleniaceae – Spleenwort family

Genus Asplenium L. – spleenwort

Species Asplenium platyneuron (L.) B.S.P. – ebony spleenwort

Ebony Spleenwort is an evergreen fern with shiny and smooth fronds. It will get up to 18 inches high and needs one foot spacing. It grows best in partial to full shade, like most ferns, and loves moist rich soil. To propagate you may divide the rootball. There are non-noticeable flowers of no floral value…the plant is grown for its foliage. It is a small, but hardy, fern.

Athyrium filix-femina (L.) Roth var. asplenoides (Michx.) Hulten (Asplenium Ladyfern)

Kingdom Plantae – Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants

Division Pteridophyta – Ferns

Class Filicopsida –

Order Polypodiales –

Family Dryopteridaceae – Wood Fern family

Genus Athyrium Roth – ladyfern

Species Athyrium filix-femina (L.) Roth – common ladyfern

Subspecies Athyrium filix-femina (L.) Roth ssp. asplenioides (Michx.) Hultén – asplenium ladyfern

This beautiful fern grows up to 3 feet tall and needs spacing of up to 18 inches apart. It prefers partial to full shade for optimum growth. This fern is easy to grow, and has average water needs. There are non-noticeable flowers and is grown for its silver gray foliage. It is a dense clump-forming fern, and you divide these clumps to propagate.

Botrychium virginianum (L.) Sw. (Rattlesnake Fern)

Kingdom Plantae – Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants

Division Pteridophyta – Ferns

Class Filicopsida –

Order Ophioglossales –

Family Ophioglossaceae – Adder’s-tongue family

Genus Botrychium Sw. – grapefern

Species Botrychium virginianum (L.) Sw. – rattlesnake fern

Rattlesnake fern only grows up to 12 inches high. It is a difficult slow growing fern, but is very lovely to look at if you want to put the effort into it. It prefers light shade and rich woodland soil. It will reproduce by spores and is difficult to propagate.The center clusters look like a rattlesnake rattle, hence its name.

Dennstaedtia punctilobula (Michx.) T. Moore (Eastern Hayscented Fern)

Kingdom Plantae – Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants

Division Pteridophyta – Ferns

Class Filicopsida –

Order Polypodiales –

Family Dennstaedtiaceae – Bracken Fern family

Genus Dennstaedtia Bernh. – hayscented fern

Species Dennstaedtia punctilobula (Michx.) T. Moore – eastern hayscented fern

This fine fern gets up to 12-18 inches tall and requires 12-24 inch spread spacing. It prefers partial to full shade and slightly acidic soil. It’s an aromatic fern, evergreen, and no discernable blooms. Its foliage has lacy leaflets and green fronds. To propagate you can divide the rhizomes.

Dryopteris marginalis (L.) Gray (Marginal Woodfern)

Kingdom Plantae – Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants

Division Pteridophyta – Ferns

Class Filicopsida –

Order Polypodiales –

Family Dryopteridaceae – Wood Fern family

Genus Dryopteris Adans. – woodfern

Species Dryopteris marginalis (L.) Gray – marginal woodfern

This fern gets up to 3 feet high and prefers full shade. It is mainly found in rich woodlands, road banks, and streams. It has blue-green evergreen foliage with 5-8 inch wide fronds. You can propagate with division of the crowns near the main rosette. It is a slow spreader, so put in moist organic soil to stimulate growth.

Polystichum acrostichoides (Michx.) Schott (Christmas Fern)

Kingdom Plantae – Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants

Division Pteridophyta – Ferns

Class Filicopsida –

Order Polypodiales –

Family Dryopteridaceae – Wood Fern family

Genus Polystichum Roth – hollyfern

Species Polystichum acrostichoides (Michx.) Schott – Christmas fern

This slow spreading perennial gets up to 3 feet in height and spreads to an area of one foot. It prefers partial to full shade and is drought tolerant. Its evergreen foliage stays green all winter. It is drought tolerant. Christmas fern fronds were formerly used for Christmas decorations.

Thelypteris novaboracensis (L.) Nieuwl. (New York Fern)

Kingdom Plantae – Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants

Division Pteridophyta – Ferns

Class Filicopsida –

Order Polypodiales –

Family Thelypteridaceae – Marsh Fern family

Genus Thelypteris Schmidel – maiden fern

Species Thelypteris noveboracensis (L.) Nieuwl. – New York fern

This fern gets up to 2 feet tall and needs an equal spacing. Its fronds taper towarde the base and it is resistant to deer. It prefers partial to full shade and mildly acidic to neutral soil. It is usually seen growing in moist woods. It is slow growing but easy to transplant. You can divide the rootball to propagate.

Osmunda cinnamomea L. (Cinnamon Fern)

Kingdom Plantae – Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants

Division Pteridophyta – Ferns

Class Filicopsida –

Order Polypodiales –

Family Osmundaceae – Royal Fern family

Genus Osmunda L. – osmunda

Species Osmunda cinnamomea L. – cinnamon fern

This fern gets up to 3-4 feet tall and needs a 2-3 foot spread. It loves partial to full shade and moist acidic soil. It is also very long lived and tough for a fern. There are bluish green fronds and the middle has a cinamon stick looking fiddles in the spring. Coarse antique looking leaves make this a winner in the garder. You can propagate this by dividing the rhizomes.