Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium)
Perennial
- Silver- and maroon-colored foliage shimmers in the shade!
- Fronds form an elegant arching-habit.
- Easy to grow shade-loving perennial.
- Durable and deer resistant.
- Zones 3-8, part sun/shade, 18" tall x 24" wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Details
Common name: Japanese painted fern, oriental ladyfern
Zone: 3 - 8
Sun exposure: Part-sun (4-6 hours sun), shade (< 4 hours sun)
Height x width: 12-18" X 24"
Foliage color: Soft gray, silver, maroon
Bloom time: N/A
Features: Rare & unusual, rain gardens, rabbit & deer resistant, low flammability, heat tolerant, ground covers, cold tolerant
Uses: Accents, border, container, ground cover, small spaces, specimen, underplanting, waterside.
How to Grow
Light: Part-sun to 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, but soil must not be allowed to dry out.
Spacing: 1.5 - 2 ft apart
Fertilizing: Annual application of compost. Inorganic fertilizers may burn roots.
Winterizing: Leaves should be trimmed to the ground in late fall or early spring.
Maintenance & pruning: Very low maintenance. Trim leaves in the late fall or early spring. Plants can be propagated by division as desired.
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.