Ferns

Native to North America, this deciduous fern is common to moist sites throughout the northern hemisphere. It is characterized by lush, finely textured, medium green fronds with an arching habit. They radiate gracefully out from the center of the crown. New leaves are produced throughout the season for a continually fresh look. At maturity, the stems turn dark red.

This fern is useful as a background plant in shade gardens and is also beautiful planted en masse along streams. It is a vigorous grower, especially in loamy humus-rich soils, but spreads relatively slowly and doesn't run. It is also reported to be more tolerant of sun and dry soils than many other ferns.

One of the largest and most popular ferns in cultivation today. The dark green, pinnate fronds are shaped like ostrich plumes, being much wider at the top and tapering down to a bare stipe.

The first set of leaves is sterile and has a gracefully arching form. These leaves can reach heights of 6 feet in ideal environments. This set of leaves dies back by early to midsummer and is replaced by a set of fertile, dark green leaves which are about half the height of the sterile ones. These leaves turn a shiny bronze-gold in fall, becoming brown in winter. They remain standing all winter long.

Ostrich ferns need plenty of space to grow since they are rapid spreaders. They spread by dense underground runners which extend out in all directions, quickly forming colonies.