Marginal Wood Fern (Dryopteris)
Perennial
- Evergreen fern for year-round interest!
- Doesn't spread, making it easy to control.
- Native, deer resistant, and low maintenance.
- Zones 3-8, shade/part sun, 2' tall and 2' wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Marginal wood fern is native to eastern North America - specifically, shaded crevices and bluffs. It's well adapted to challenging sites, handling more drought than other ferns. It's deer, rabbit, and disease resistant, making it easy to grow in rock gardens, containers, woodland gardens, or any spot that needs lush green foliage.
Details
Common name: Leather Wood Fern, marginal wood fern, evergreen wood fern, marginal fern, marginal shieldfern
Zone: 3 – 8
Sun exposure: Shade (< 4 hours sun) to part-sun (4-6 hours sun)
Height x width: 1-2' tall and wide
Foliage color: Green
Season of interest: Year-round
Bloom time: Non flowering
Features: Rain gardens, rabbit resistant, native, heat tolerant, deer resistant, container plants, cold tolerant, best for beginners
Uses: Accents, border, container, ground cover, massing, small spaces, specimen, underplanting, woodland
How to Grow
Light: Part-sun (4-6 hours sun) to shade (< 4 hours sun)
Water: Soil should not dry out.
Spacing: 1-2 feet
Fertilizing: Apply fertilizer during the growing season if needed, though it generally is not required.
Winterizing: No specific care is needed. Cut back old fronds after new growth begins in spring.
Maintenance & pruning: Site in locations sheltered from strong winds to protect the fronds. Other than removing old growth in spring, no pruning is needed.
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.