Lady fern

Lady fern: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Graceful shuttlecock of fronds, up to 90 cm tall and about 80 cm wide.

Fronds

Two to three times divided, finely cut and fresh green. They die back in autumn.

Stalks

Green to red or purplish red, and rather brittle.

Spores

Elongated to hook-shaped spore clusters on the underside of the fronds, ripe in summer.

Rhizome

Short and upright, with one or a few crowns.

Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• Fine, lacy fronds that make a shady corner light and soft.
• Native and ideal for a wildlife garden, along a stream or a pond.
• Fresh green from spring to autumn; some plants have red stalks.
• Grows quickly and soon fills a damp, shady spot.
• Many unusual forms for collectors.

Lady fern: where does it grow best?

• Partial or full shade; in sun the fronds shrivel.
• Sand, loam, clay or peat, acid to neutral and rich in humus.
• Moist to wet soil: it does not tolerate drought. Lovely along a stream or a pond.
• Sheltered from wind: the fine fronds and brittle stalks break easily.
• Allow 60–80 cm between plants.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand, loam, clay or peat

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal or wet

Size

0.9 m tall, 0.8 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Hosta: Large leaves as a calm contrast with the fine fronds.
• Astilbe: Pink, red and white plumes on the same moist soil.
• Wood anemone: White spring flowers, before the fern unfurls its fronds.
• Siberian bugloss: Sky-blue flowers in spring between the young croziers.
• Solomon’s seal: Arching stems with white bells in the same shade.

Lady fern: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

1. Plant from March to May or in September–October, when the soil is not frozen.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and mix in plenty of leaf mould.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot: the crown must stay just above the soil.
4. Keep 60–80 cm from other plants.
5. Water generously straight away and keep the soil moist throughout the first year.
6. Mulch with leaf mould to keep the soil cool and moist.

Care

Watering

Keep the soil moist at all times; water regularly in dry spells, even once the plant has been in for years.

Feeding

Leaf mould in spring is enough.

Mulching

Spread a layer of leaf mould every spring or leave fallen autumn leaves in place.

Old fronds

The fronds die back in autumn; leave them until March and then clear them away.

Dividing

Every few years, once the plant has several crowns, in spring.

Tip: Give it a moist, sheltered, shady spot and never let the soil dry out: the fine fronds then stay fresh until autumn. Leave the dead fronds over winter and only clear them in March.

Lady fern: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: In March, before the new croziers unfurl. In winter the dead fronds protect the crown.

How:

• Cut or pull away the dead fronds at the base.
• Watch out for the young croziers in the crown: do not cut into them.
• In summer cut off brown or snapped fronds; if the soil stays moist, new ones often grow.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April: dig up a plant with several crowns and cut it into pieces, each with a crown and roots. Replant at once and keep them moist.

Spores

In summer collect ripe spores and sow them on moist, sterile compost under glass. In damp spots it also self-seeds.

Lady fern: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• The fronds die back in autumn; in spring the plant regrows.
• Leave the dead fronds until March to protect the crown.
• In a pot: stand the pot in a sheltered spot and never let the soil dry out completely.

Diseases and pests

• Shrivelled fronds: Brown, dried-up fronds caused by drought, sun or wind. Water generously, mulch and choose a sheltered, shady spot. Cut off the damaged fronds.
• Snapped fronds: The stalks are brittle and break in wind, heavy rain or when pets play. Cut them off and choose a sheltered spot.
• Late frost damage: Frozen young croziers turn brown. Cut them off; the plant regrows.
• Brown dots under the fronds: These are the spore clusters, not a disease or pest. Nothing needs doing.

Through the year

• January: Rest. Leave the dead fronds.
• February: Rest. The old fronds protect the crown.
• March: Clear old fronds before the croziers unfurl. Plant or divide.
• April: The croziers unfurl. Mulch with leaf mould.
• May: Plant. Keep the soil moist.
• June: Water in dry spells.
• July: Water in dry spells. Collect spores.
• August: Cut off snapped or brown fronds.
• September: Plant or divide.
• October: Plant. The fronds start to die back.
• November: The fronds die back. Leave them in place.

Did you know?

• The name lady fern comes from an old folk belief: this fine, graceful fern was seen as the female partner of the sturdier male fern.
• You can recognise it from the underside of the fronds: the spore clusters are elongated to hook-shaped, whereas those of male fern are round.
• The form ‘Victoriae’ was found in the wild in Scotland in the 19th century and named after Queen Victoria.