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Japanese Painted Fern
Renown for its silvery gray sheen, the Japanese Painted Fern adds layers of light, airy textures and jewel-tone colors into any shade garden with moist soils. Veins highlight the delicate fronds with reds, blues and purples from their base to the tips of their leaflets.
A popular member of the Dryopteridaceae family,
Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum' grows about 18 inches high with a
weeping habit. Fronds spread out from dense 12 inch clumps when
established. Deciduous in growth, the fern first appears in the
spring as curled croisiers, sometimes called fiddleheads, which
unfurl into the gracefully tapered leaves.
The cultivar 'Pictum' probably originated in Japan
and differs from the native species primarily in its decorative
color. The Japanese Painted Fern is also the parent of several
famous and popular ferns.
Use the Japanese Painted Fern in woodland gardens,
shade gardens, shaded borders, or along the shady sections of
streams and ponds.
Soil, Light and Growing Habits
As adaptable as it is beautiful, the Japanese
Painted Fern is easily grown with moist, organic soil so long as
it does not dry out. The fern will grow in wet soil if
well-drained and thrives in a wide range of light conditions
from light to deep shade. The best frond colors come out in
light shade. It is best sited in sheltered locations.
'Pictum' gradually forms multiple crowns and is easily propagated by clump division in early spring. It naturalizes well through short branching rhizomes and it can form dense colonies under optimum growing conditions. It will also propagate through the spores found on its herringbone ridges.
The fern has no pests or diseases associated with it and deer normally leave the plant alone. This low maintenance plant is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8.
Companion Plants to Consider
'Pictum' combines beautifully with hostas, Japanese maples, coral bells, Astilbe, spring bulbs and other shade plants. |
