I love ferns. I have many in my garden. Some are clump forming. Some spread quite aggressively and others will form a crown. Here are some of my favorites.
Japanese Silver or Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum var. pictum) – Beautiful silver and burgundy fronds. Gus is sniffing up something in there!
Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosoa) – Named so because the new fronds in Spring, shown here, are a bronze color like Fall foliage.
Dixie Wood Fern (Dryopteris X Australis) – a very tall fern that is a natural hybrid.
Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina) – Named after its very lacy fronds. Behind it to the right is a Christmas Fern. Behind it to the left is a small Japanese Painted Fern.
Holly Fern (Cyrtomium falcatum) – I purchased this about 5 years ago in a 5 inch pot and now it is about 2.5 feet tall and three feet wide.
Korean Rock Fern (Polystichum tsus-simense) – This fern has a nice netted pattern on the fronds but not much of a grower. Behind it is a small Lady in Red Fern which is a Lady Fern with a red stem.
Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis) – named so because the leaves are killed by the first frost. It also has an unusual fertile frond that sticks straight up like a flag pole and is brown. You can see in the background of this picture.
Here in The South it is important to make sure ferns receive enough moisture to survive the heat. Otherwise, they do not thrive and slowly wither away.
Some may spread aggressive when the conditions are right. Sensitive Fern, Hay-scented Fern, and Bracken Fern can all be aggressive when conditions are perfect! Be careful where you plant them!
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Arthur in the Garden! 
Great selection. I like the look of sensitive fern. In my garden I have ostrich fern and lady fern.
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I have been thinking of adding an Ostrich Fern but I read it needs constant moisture and is very large. I may have to clear out a spot for it!
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I have been thinking of adding an Ostrich Fern but I read it needs constant moisture and is very large. I may have to clear out a spot for it!
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I love Tassel Fern, Polystichum polyblepharum, which is beautiful as well as evergreen.
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Its a beautiful fern but a slow grower here in the South.
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Japanese painted ferns grow relatively slowly here-the one in your first photo looks like it has been growing for a while.
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It is about four years old. They are slow growing and tend to die back a little when our temps reach the upper 90s and our Summer droughts!
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I can see why! They’re very pretty plants.
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I love Japanese ferns. My lawn crew decided to give my sword ferns a hair cut and now they are quite unusual!
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Interesting how many variations you have. The sensitive ferns are gorgeous! Here ferns were sold to hung from baskets inside houses, and they really lost their appeal. But outside they can be beautiful.
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I keep killing ferns in Raleigh. How often and how much do you water them in the summer?
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Hello, they need to be kept moist so every few days during the dry season.
Arthur
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I think I have some Lady Fern. A gift from a friend. I started by planting a few under my willow. I’ve dug up a few small ones and transplanted them to other areas.
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They are wonderful with their lacy foliage. Ferns can be sometimes difficult to identify since they look so similar. Recent achievements of crossing species makes it even more difficult! 🙂
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AH YES! I need to get my ferns on my blog!
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