The best ferns for your garden – Gardens Illustrated

By Daisy Bowie-Sell

Published: Wednesday, 01 December 2021 at 12:00 am

Plant Profile

What Ferns are an important group of vascular, non-flowering plants, valued in gardens for their atmospheric and long-lasting foliage. Hardy evergreen ferns retain their foliage throughout winter in temperate regions, making their decorative contribution even more valuable. These ancient plants also have their own language, with their leaves known as fronds and the leaflets pinnae. Fern species are in the main instantly recognisable as a group,
but somewhat harder to distinguish from one another. As a result, the specific common names are in general rather dry, with names such as soft shield fern and Korean rock fern.

Origins Ferns are global and exist in every climate zone. Hardy evergreens can be found in a variety of temperate regions. Season Evergreen ferns are in display for 12 months of the year. Size Varies from 20cm
to 1.5m.

Conditions In general, ferns tend to prefer shady, reasonably well-drained conditions with a ready supply of moisture, although there are many individual exceptions to this. Hardiness Variable. Ferns in this article range from RHS H3 to RHS H7, and are suitable for gardens in USDA zones 3a to 9b.

Where to plant ferns

Ferns work well in many different garden settings but are the perfect solution for a shady garden. Few perennials have such a distinctive and instantly recognisable form as ferns, despite their huge variation in appearance and size.

The conditions under which ferns will flourish is also quite variable. Hart’s tongues or Asplenium scolopendrium, for example, often find their way from the flower border to gaps in walls and paving, and are tolerant of deep, dry shade, while the beautiful Osmunda regalis will thrive in wet conditions (even with its feet in water) and will make strong colonies of fronds more than 1.2m tall.

Don’t miss our guide on how to propagate ferns.

The best ferns to grow in your garden

Polypodium vulgare

The common polypody is unusual among ferns for its tolerance for high light levels. Where plenty of moisture is available, it may grow epiphytically on trees or logs, but is equally at home on land. It colonises by gently spreading rhizomes.

30cm. RHS H7†.