GardenWizzPlant Care Card

Lady Fern

Athyrium filix-femina · Fern

Hardiness
H7 Very hardy (to below −20°C)
Position
Full shade, Partial shade
Height × Spread
60–90 cm × 50–100 cm
Soil
Moist but well-drained; humus-rich, leaf-mould enriched; tolerates clay provided not waterlogged; Acid, Neutral or slightly Alkaline pH
Flowering
—
Toxicity
No toxicity recorded

The Gardening Year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
🪴 Plant out
✂️ Prune

Watch out for

Drought stress: Deep weekly soaking in dry spells and a 5-8 cm mulch of leaf mould or bark to keep roots cool and moist.

Vine weevil: Check compost around the crown in autumn for small white grubs; treat with nematode biological control if present.

Late frost damage: Throw a couple of layers of horticultural fleece over the crown overnight when a hard frost is forecast after frond emergence.

Full guide: gardenwizz.com/plants/athyrium-filix-femina © GardenWizz — UK gardening encyclopedia