'Ghost' Fern (Athyrium)
Perennial
- A hybrid between two fern favorites: Japanese painted fern and lady fern.
- Silvery fronds of foliage with purple stems stand out in shady flowerbeds.
- Taller and more drought tolerant than other fern varieties.
- Zones 3-8, Shade to part sun, 36" tall bt 24" wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Details
Common name: Japanese painted fern, Lady fern
Zone: 3 – 8
Sun exposure: Shade (<4 hours sun), Part-sun (4-6 hours sun)
Height x width: 24-36″ X 18-24″
Foliage color: Sage green, silver, and purple
Season of Interest: Summer
Features: Rare & unusual, rain gardens, rabbit resistant, heat tolerant, deer resistant, container plants, cold tolerant, best for beginners
Uses: Shade gardens, woodland gardens, fern collections
How to Grow
Light: Part shade to full shade – Best silvery frond color occurs in light shade. Too much sun often results in a bleaching of the attractive frond colors.
Water: Tolerates more soil dryness than some other ferns in this genus, but soil must not be allowed to dry out.
Spacing: 1.5 – 2 ft apart
Fertilizing: None required.
Winterizing: Nothing special required.
Maintenance & pruning: The previous season’s leaves should be trimmed to the ground in early spring. Do this before new growth begins, or the process will be tricky to do well.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.
Beautiful half-native fern. Will take a couple seasons to grow into a large clump. Rabbits munched on it a little at first but then decided they didn’t like it and now leave it alone.
Arrived with many broken leaf stems from shipping which sadly seems the norm these days. Planted them and seem to be doing okay. I'm looking forward to watching them grow.
This company has healthy, good sized plants that are packaged exceptionally well. I will be a return customer. Everything I got from them is thriving!
The Ghost Fern I got from Great Garden Plants is not thriving so far, I’m hoping it will learn to be happy in its new location over time. The Brunera I received at the same time is growing very well.
We're sorry you're having trouble with your plants. Our team of horticulture experts would love to take a closer look! Please contact us at [email protected] with your order number and photos of the plants so we can better assist you. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
Fast shipping, healthy plants,will order again,highly recommend.
I ordered over a 100 plants (including some of the ghost ferns). They were all delivered in *perfect* condition within 48 hours exactly on my delivery date. They were all beautifully selected plants (no puny, broken, or half dead) and with clear instructions on how to care for them. I’m so pleased with my purchase, the service, and now about 4 weeks later seeing how my plants are thriving! I’ll definitely order again in the future!
I received my 2 ghost ferns as advised, in a larger order. They were given several fays to naturalize; both seemed healthy and happy. Now, several weeks later, one is very slowly taking hold and the other looks nearly lifeless with brown spines like a dead fish and fronds that aren’t brown and limp but lying on the ground. I live on the cusp of 8a and 8b. I have had an otherwise great experience ordering from Great Garden Plants. I assumed my fern troubles were caused by something I did, a voracious garden pest, or a soil problem very specific to the planting site.
But as long as you asked. . .
We're sorry you're having trouble with your plants. Our team of horticulture experts would love to take a closer look! Please contact us at [email protected] with your order number and photos of the plants so we can better assist you. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
Three shipments this year and all came wonderfully and are all thriving! My go to is you!
I ordered these larger ferns to do some fill-in in the back of some of my floral perennials. These excellent specimens arrived in great condition and went into the ground easily and stayed fresh for the fall. Today we’ve had snow so I can’t see what they’re gonna look like later today and tomorrow but I look forward to seeing them and their growth in the spring.
Pretty small and beat up on arrival but seems to be hanging in there…
What time of year is best to plant ferns? Spring or fall? We live in zone 5.
You can plant in fall as long as you do so at least 6 weeks before the first hard frost of fall in your area. Check out our guide to fall planting for more information:
https://blog.greatgardenplants.com/our-guide-for-fall-planting/
Will I need to replant these ferns every year?
This is a perennial which means it will last for years as opposed to an annual which has to be planted every year.
is it a perennial. could it with stand the winter in Colorado
As long as you are in USDA zone 3 or warmer, it will survive winter.
Can this plant be successfully grown inside?
No, it cannot. It needs the fresh air and bright sun of the outdoors, and will struggle greatly if you attempt to grow it indoors before it dies.
Do you have fig trees
It is currently out of stock, but you can sign up for an email notification: https://www.greatgardenplants.com/collections/all/products/chicago-hardy-fig