SEATTLE — There's a reason that ferns have been growing in popularity over the last few years. They come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors, require minimum care and have practically no pests including deer and slugs. There are ferns that will thrive in most any area of the garden, even in sunshine, as long as there is adequate moisture.
Practically indestructible is Polystichum munitum, the ubiquitous Western Sword Fern. I have this lovely native growing in sun and shade. I cut the fronds off some of the ones in back areas and use them to cover Dahlia tubers and other bulbs because they are a great insulator and repel excess water from rotting from too much water in our rainy winters.
One of the most elegant ferns for a shady location is the Western maidenhair fern (Adiantum aleuticum) The delicate looking bright-green fronds unfurl in spring, creating stunning contrast with its black, wire like stems. Reaching over 2 feet tall, this tough fern slowly becomes a nice sized clump in moist shade. This one is deciduous, so remove the fronds that turn brown in winter to allow the new fronds to look their best when they unfurl in spring.
Just as beautiful but much lower growing is the evergreen Himalayan maidenhair fern. The evergreen fronds only reach 6 inches tall, but make up for their smaller stature by slowly spreading, forming a lacy groundcover in dappled shade or morning sun. Cut the fronds back in late winter, to allow the new foliage to emerge bright bronzy green and fresh looking.
If you're looking for a fern with great color, autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance,') is a real performer. The upright new fronds on this drought tolerant 2 feet tall fern emerge in bright shades of orangey-red and hold their color well into summer before turning shiny dark green late in the season. Spreading politely to form an open groundcover, autumn fern partners beautifully with Hosta or other bold foliaged shade loving plants. This fern does well in morning sun as long as it gets adequate moisture.
There are lots of other ferns I love. An easy to grow, lovely fern is Polystichum polyblepharum or Tassel Fern. The dark green leaves are particularly beautiful when new fronds emerge stiffly, then droop backwards to form a tassel. One I've recently discovered is Coniogramme emiensis or golden zebra fern. It has coloring similar to a zebra featuring green leaves with highly attractive yellow striations. The fronds can reach over 3 feet tall.
The big momma when it comes to ferns that we can grow in the Puget Sound is Woodwardia fimbriata, commonly known as the Giant Chain Fern. Native to the forests of the west coast of Washington State, it is the largest fern in North America, with fronds that can reach 9 feet long. The end of these ferns tend to root where they hit the ground and can become impressive colonies.
Finally, in my opinion, the loveliest fern of them all is the plumose soft shield fern (Polystichum setiferum 'Plumosomultilobum'). Growing to about 1.5 feet tall and 2 feet wide, the multilayered, finely divided fronds give this gorgeous shade lover an incredibly soft and lacy appearance. It has an interesting shape with fronds that curve upwards from the center making it resemble a fluffy bad mitten birdy. The only problem with this shade loving fern is that visitors to my garden always notice it and want to know what it is, and I inevitably make a total fool out of myself trying to pronounce its impossibly difficult botanical name!
Except for the giant chain fern, the old fronds on most types of ferns should be cut back in about mid-February to keep the plants looking fresh and attractive. It will not weaken the fern, or harm it in anyway, as long as you use caution to prevent cutting off the new fiddleheads that are just beginning to grow. In early March is a good time to divide ferns. Ferns rarely need to be divided, but it is a good way to get new ones. As long as it is healthy, any good sized hardy fern can easily be divided in spring. Simply lift the clump, and slice the plant in sections with a sharp knife. Make sure that each section has a fiddle head. Keep the new sections well watered and 'voila', you now have new ferns to add grace and beauty to your garden.
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest at 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.