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.
The Japanese Painted Fern arrived in great condition. It was packed well and was a very healthy size upon receipt. Unfortunately, I let it get too dry before I planted it in the garden, and all of the foliage died. I decided I would water it well hoping the rootstock survived and plant it in my garden thinking maybe it would live. It did! It is currently filling out beautifully and looks wonderfully happy in its new home. Thank you, GGP, for another healthy plant strong enough to survive my lack of care!
Arrived yesterday 3 showed up looking ok. One was totally wilted.
Unboxed them, watered them and placed them in my mud room out of direct sunlight. Today they are all wilted. Hoping they make a comeback :( any tips or suggestions to save them would be helpful
Hi Cassandra, We're sorry to hear that your plants arrived looking a little stressed. We're glad you watered them and put them out of direct sunlight. I would wait a few more days to see if they improve. If they do not recover, your plants are covered by our 60-day guarantee! We'd be happy to refund you or replace them. You can learn more about our guarantee here: https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/our-guarantee
smaller than anticipated given the cost but they are healthy. At a nursery I would never had paid that much for that size but online the selection is often bull crap. So I couldn’t plant them right away and they practically died in the pot. I was like well let me plant them anyway cause nature is great and they were good specimens when they arrived. they bounced back in a few days and are thriving. again I would have expected much bigger for so much money but they will grow and healthy is at least not a waste of money. I got other trees online that were the right size but awful specimens so this is far better. pics are first planting and recovery- again they came in healthy and it was my fault they withered at all.
Perfectly packaged and in great shape
Plants arrived quickly and were well packed. Very happy.
I ordered two last year and they are filling out and stunning so I ordered two more to fill a section and they arrived in great shape.
Metal rings were impossible to remove. One plant was mishandled was completely out of pot. One out of three was acceptable.
Hello! We’re sorry that you received plants that are not up to our standards. We try our best to provide excellent plants, but some factors, like shipping and handling, are outside our control. That’s why we have a 60-day guarantee on all of our orders. Please email your order number and pictures of your plants to us to start the claims process. We look forward to helping!
Ordered my first batch of ferns and was so happy with the price, health and root development of the plants, I ordered a second batch.
Well packaged, small but healthy and growing well
They died
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
I put this little guy in the ground near native ferns and it’s flourishing. No issues and I loved the packaging.
Ordered 12 ferns in the fall. Arrived looking a bit thin but good color. Planted them in September. 25% die off. 4 didn't come back in the spring. (Zone 7b). All were planted in the same place with equal treatment.
We’re sorry you’re having trouble with your plants! Our fall guarantee covers plants received after September 1 until May 2025, so we have you covered. Please send your order number and pictures of your plants to [email protected] to start the claims process. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
Plants arrived on time and in great condition.
They came in excellent condition and well packaged. I planted them among large boulders and perennials in my new garden. Since the cold weather has set in, I will have to wait until next year to see the full effect.
I have eight Japanese Painted Ferns planted in a large mass and they are doing great. The last one I received to fill in a spot was not well packed because the little square pieces that hold the plants in place were not pushed out and the top plant fell down on top of the fern and probably traveled like that. Both plant tops were damaged but the roots seemed fine. I planted them both and so far so good! Thanks
We apologize the plants you received did not meet our standards. As we try our best to provide exceptional service, some factors like shipping and handling are outside of our control and issues like this can sometimes happen. Please give them a drink of water and put them in a shady area, go ahead and plant them. They should bounce back within a few weeks.
IF they do not, please send pictures to [email protected] and we will gladly process your warranty.
Rest assured your plants are covered under our warranty for 60 days.
I planted the ferns in the bog at the top of my pond. They have the gracefulness that I have been looking for and are doing very well. I used a special mesh bag and planting media for each one.
All of my plants arrived wilted and brown. Tried to revive, but all died. I can send pictures if you would like to see
Hello! We apologize you received your plants not up to our standards. As we try our best to provide exceptional service, some factors like shipping and handling are outside of our control, and issues like this can sometimes happen. Please email pictures of the plant to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we do have a 60-day guarantee on all of our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we will be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
One of the plants was very dried out looking and wilted. The soil in the pot was dry, while the others were moist and heavy. The outer packing was really well done and very protective. My only complaint is that all the plants that I have ordered from GG have plastic wrapped around the stem and the pot that is very hard to remove without damaging the plant. Maybe not use that heavy duty clip to hold it in place? Takes scissors to cut the plastic and it still can't be removed from the pot.
The painted ferns arrived healthy and happy. In a shady part of our yard yard they seem to be thriving. It has been raining alot recently so they are getting plenty of moisture in our well-draining, sandy soil (zone 8a coastal NC). Look forward to next spring to see if they will spread a little. It is had to beat Great Garden’s plants.
Ordered two Japanese painted ferns and one was beautiful but the other looked shriveled and dry. I tried to revive in but it was a lost cause. I have bought other plants and been very happy but disappointed this time. ☹️😢
Hello! We're sorry to hear one of your plants arrived in not so great condition. We offer a 30 day guarantee, if you ever receive a plant you're not happy with or if one dies within its first 30 days in your garden, let us know right away. You can contact our claims team by emailing pictures and your order # to [email protected]. We appreciate your feedback, happy gardening!
Arrived healthy. Gorgeous and doing well. Love the colors. Great for the shady moist spot amongst the moss.
Well packaged, arrived very healthy!
Such great plants! So healthy!!!
Are these live plants or bare root. If live how big are the pots they are shipped in
We ship young plants that are grown and arrive in containers. You can view our plant sizes here:
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/sizes
Can it tolerate acidic soil between two pine trees?
Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium) grows best in moist soil with a neutral to moderately acidic pH so growing it between two pine trees should fine. Just make sure the soil is well draining and the fern receives about 4 of sun a day.
Can these be grown in zones 9 & 10
The Japanese Painted Fern is suitable for zones 3-8 so zones 9 and 10 are probably going to be too hot for the plant. You can find plants suitable for zones 9 and up with the link below:
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/collections/plants-for-zone-9
Can I plant a athyrium in a large pot?
Yes you can! Just be sure the pot has good drainage and is placed in a shady area.