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Denotes Native Fern
ADIANTUM
Among the most beautiful and popular ferns,Maidenhair Ferns thrive in rich moist soil and can be grown in full sun if moisture is adequate. They slowly spread to form a compact colony. Each black stalk is forked into many-fingered fronds with fan-shaped segments.
 MAIDENHAIR FERN
Adiantum pedatum
(45-60cm) Zone 2
Despite its delicate appearance it is a very hardy fern and one of the most popular. Easy to grow.
ASPLENIUM and PHYLLITIS
The spleenworts are mainly small lime-loving ferns with evergreen fronds. Suitable for a limestone rock garden or in association with concrete structures or mortared walls. Normal garden soil can be amended with horticultural lime. All will take full sun for at least part of the day.
CRESTED HART'S TONGUE FERN
Asplenium scolopendrium ‘Cristata’ (Phyllitis)
(30 cm) Zone 5
Shiny dark green uncut fronds with forked tips. An evergreen form that benefits from lime. Great in a rock garden. Sun or shade
 EBONY SPLEENWORT
Asplenium platyneuron
(15-45 cm) Zone 5
Does not particularly need lime. Prefers fairly dry conditions in gritty soil. Do not over water.
HART’S TONGUE FERN
Asplenium scolopendrium
(15-45 cm) Zone 5
Known often as Phyllitis s. The uncut fronds are fully evergreen.
ATHYRIUM
Lady Ferns have finely cut and airy foliage. Originating in Japan, Europe and North America. All will take considerable sun if the soil is dependably moist.
 LADY FERN
Athyrium filix-femina
(60-90 cm). Zone 4
A strong grower with beautiful feathery Fronds, 30 – 60 cms long.
SOUTHERN LADY FERN
Athyrium asplenoides
(75 cm) Zone 4
Nice addition to woodland gardens. Perfectly hardy in Ontario
EMERALD TATTING FERN
Athyrium filix-femina ‘Frizelliae’
(45 cm) Zone 5
Frond leaflets reduced to pairs of green disks like an emerald necklace.
URSULA'S PAINTED FERN
Athyrium nipponicum ‘Ursula’s Red’
(40 cm) Zone 4
New clonal selection of Japanese Painted Fern. A coulourful fern with silver leaves and contrasting wine red veins.
CRESTED LADY FERN
Athyrium filix-femina ‘Vernonia Cristata’
(60 cm) Zone 4
This crested variety has a very distinct form with overlapping tassels.
 JAPANESE PAINTED FERN
Athyrium nipponicum ‘Pictum’
(50 cm) Zone 4
Perennial Plant of The Year 2004. Impressive contrasting foliage, silvery-grey and wine-red.
KOREAN FERN
Athyrium otophorum
(45 cm) Zone 5
Grey-green with dark red stems and midrib.
APPLECOURT PAINTED FERN
Athyrium nipponicum pictum ‘Applecourt’
(30 – 60 cm) Zone 3
Spacing 45 – 60 cm. Heavily crested fronds are silvery grey, with splashes of red on new growth. Part to full shade.
LADY IN RED FERN
Athyrium forma rubellum
(80 – 90 cm) Zone 5
The vibrant burgundy colours running throughout the stipe, makes this one of the most exciting perennial garden ferns. Deciduous.
VICTORIA FANCY LADY FERN
Athyrium filix-femina ‘Victoria Fancy’
(60 cm) Zone 5
100 cm wide. Has tall, dark green fancy fronds. Best in part shade and rich soil.
REGAL RED JAPANESE PAINTED FERN
Athyrium niponicum pictum ‘Regal Red’
(20-50 cm) Zone 4
Handsome and ruffled, this is our most requested Painted Fern. The dark interior of the frond is contrasted by bright silver edges. The pinnules twist a little, giving the frond a fluffed up look.
BURGUNDY LACE JAPANESE PAINTED FERN
Athyrium nipponicum var. pictum ‘Burgundy Lace’
(30 cm)
Spacing 40 cm. Silver fronds, new growth is burgundy. Stunning in the spring. Deciduous. Part to full shade. Keep moderately moist.
GHOST FERN
Athyium x ‘Ghost’
(80 cm) Zone 3
Cross between American Lady and Japanese Painted Fern. Strong growing fern. Silver accent colour.
BRANDFORD BEAUTY LADY FERN
Athyrium X ‘Brandford Beauty’
(60 cm) Zone 3
Arching, fountain like form with thin, finely cut, bright green fronds. Best in rich moist soil. Shade.
BLECHNUM
LADDER FERN
Blechnum spicant
(15-70 cm) Zone 5
Hardy little fern with neat compact growth habit. Good under evergreens. Top dress with leaf mould.
 CHEILANTHES
The Lip Ferns and Cloak Ferns are adapted to drier sites and are perfect rock garden plants. Incorporate coarse sand and gravel into rich soil. Good drainage is essential.
SILVER CLOAK FERN
Cheilanthes argentea
(20 cm) Zone 5
Native to Japan, China and Siberia. Fronds are dark green above and silver below.
CYRTOMIUM
The common name aptly describes their dark green leathery holly-like leaves. These asiatic ferns are just hardy enough for Southern Ontario and will need an ideal site in which to thrive. They can be wintered indoors as they are ideal houseplants.
 JAPANESE HOLLY FERN
Cyrtomium fortunei
(60 cm) Zone 5
Hardier than the previous species but still demands good care.
CYSTOPTERIS
These small fragile or brittle ferns are excellent in the rock garden. They are the earliest ferns to appear in the spring. Bladder fern is a woodland fern.
BULBLET BLADDER FERN
Cystopteris bulbifera
(60 cm) Zone 3
Round pea-like bulblets form on the frond and can fall to grow into a new plant.
DENNSTAEDTIA
A common North American fern with beautiful lacy yellow-green fronds. Naturallyspreading in habit it needs room to grow.
 HAYSCENTED FERN
Dennstaedtia punctilobula
(60 cm) Zone 3
Once established will tolerate dry conditions even in sun. Fall colour is a soft yellow or bleached to white.
DRYOPTERIS
The British call them Shield or Buckler Ferns. North Americans refer to them as Wood Ferns which is probably preferrable since some Polystichum are also called Shield Ferns. Many species of Dryopteris have great garden merit and some have produced an impressive number of beautiful varieties.
GOLD-SCALED MALE FERN
Dryopteris affinis cristata ‘The King’
(60 – 120 cm)Zone 4
Medium to large arching fronds. Deep green foliage. Best in moist soil and part to full shade.
DIXIE WOOD FERN
Dryopteris X australis
(125 – 150 cm) Zone 5
A sturdy semi-evergreen fern bearing handsome dark green fronds that have a slender vase-shaped form when mature. Outstanding in shade gardens and woodland areas. Prefers moist humus-rich soil. Water 2-3 times per week until established, weekly during dry spells. Part to full shade.
TOOTHED WOOD FERN
Dryopteris carthusiana (D. spinulosa)
(90 cm) Zone 2
An easy fern for any soil and useful for damp or wet areas.
LOG FERN
Dryopteris celsa
(100 cm) Zone 5
A native fern of moist woodlands often found growing on rotting logs. Best in moist bright shade.
CHAMPION’S WOOD FERN
Dryopteris championii
(45 – 90 cm) Zone 5
Native to China and Japan, this fern has large lacy evergreen fronds. New fronds are bright apple green, becoming darker with age. Best in part to full shade and moist soil.
SHAGGY SHIELD FERN
Dryopteris cycadina (D. atrata)
(75 cm) Zone 5
An asiatic fern with dark evergreen fronds and black hairs on the stalk.
BROAD WOOD FERN
Dryopteris dilitata (D. austriaca)
(90 cm) Zone 4
Best in acidic woodland soil. Rich blue-green foliage.
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WHITESIDE WOOD FERN
Dryopteris dilitata ‘Crispa Whiteside’
(60-90 cm) Zone 4
Light green crisped foliage like curled parsley.
GRANDICEPS WOOD FERN
Dryopteris dilitata ‘Grandiceps’
(100 cm) Zone 4
Each leaflet is crested and a very dense tassel terminates the frond.
MALE FERN
Dryopteris felix-mas
(90 cm) Zone 4
A hardy fern that does well in semi-shade. Prefers neutral to acidic soil, humus rich soil. A good ‘beginner’ fern. An unscientific name, ferns are not separately male and female.
CRISTATE MALE FERN
Dryopteris filix-mas crispa cristata
(45 cm) Zone 4
Spread 45 cm. Compact growth with crisped fronds, ruffled at edges. Likes moist soil, sun or part shade.
CRESTED BUCKLER FERN
Dryopteris dilatata ‘Lepidota Cristata’
(45 cm) Zone 4.
A finely dissected, minutely crested form.
RECURVED WOOD FERN
Dryopteris dilitata recurvata
(90 cm) Zone 4.
The individual segments of each leaflet curve downwards.
AUTUMN FERN
Dryopteris erythrosora
(50 cm) Zone 5
New fronds are bronze-red, reminiscent of autumn leaves.
BRILLIANCE AUTUMN FERN
Dyopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’
(45 cm) Zone 5.
Young fronds are coppery-red and contrast pleasantly with older fronds. Young plantlets grow on mature fronds.
SMALL CRESTED MALE FERN
Dryopteris filix-mas ‘Crispa’
(30 cm) Zone 4.
Compact dense fern with crisped fronds ruffled at the edge.
BARNE’S MALE FERN
Dryopteris filix-mas ‘Barnesii’
(90 cm) Zone 4.
Always recognized for it’s distinct ruffled foliage.
MANY FINGERED FERN
Dryopteris filix-mas ‘Linearis Polydactyla’
(60-90 cm) Zone 4.
The fronds and the very narrow leaflets are multi-forked.
ROBUST MALE FERN
Dryopteris filix-mas ‘Undulata Robusta’
(60-90 cm) Zone 4.
Upright posture with dark blue-green foliage. Drought tolerant even in sun.
GOLDIE’S FERN
Dryopteris goldiana
(90-120 cm) Zone 3
The largest of our native dryopteris with quite wide blue-green leaflets. Best in moist shade.
GOLDEN MIST WOOD FERN
Dryopteris labordei
(30-60 cm) Zone 5 – 8
100 cm wide. An Asian fern with golden-yellow new growth maturing to a dark green. Larger and more open than Autumn Fern, this new evergreen fern does well wherever Autumn Fern does well. Sun or partial shade.
MEXICAN MALE FERN
Dryopteris pseudo-felix-mas
(1.2 m) Zone 5
Erect fronds up to 1.2 m can really make a statement. Continues to grow throughout the season so fresh new growth is always evident. Part shade.
LEATHER WOOD FERN
Dryopteris marginalis
(60 cm) Zone 2
Also known as Marginal or Eastern Wood Fern. Evergreen.
 RARE WOOD FERN
Dryopteris remota
(75 cm) Zone 4
Eurasian fern that occurs rarely in nature but is now available to gardeners. Strong growing with shaggy stems and delicately cut fronds. Sun or shade.
TOKYO WOOD FERN
Dryopteris tokyoensis
(75 cm) Zone 5
Slender vase-shaped plant with stiffly erect narrow fronds. Native to Japan and Korea.
GYMNOARPIUM
In the wild, Oak Fern occurs in cool, moist woods. Its creeping habit is not aggressive and it can make a fine ground cover.
OAK FERN
Gymnocarpium dryopteris
(20-45 cm) Zone 2.
Delicate three-parted fronds. A fine plant for Canadian gardens although it resents summer heat.
MATTEUCCIA
Botanists hardly acknowledge a difference between our native species and the one from Europe. Young spring growth of ‘fiddle heads’ are used as a vegetable.
OSTRICH FERN
Matteuccia pensylvanica
(120 cm) Zone 2.
A tall, erect native species which is vigorous and can be grown in sun if soil is dependably moist. Will colonize.
ONOCLEA
Sensitive Fern is the one species in the genus. Even though extremely hardy, the common name refers to it’s melting away with the first frosts.
SENSITIVE FERN
Onoclea sensibilis
(30-60 cm) Zone 2
Broadleaved with almost opposite leaflets. Separate fertile fronds called ‘beadsticks’. Good by waterside.
OSMUNDA
Members of this group can be very large in natural sites, but do fine in a garden. Sun or shade.
 CINNAMON FERN
Osmunda cinnamomea
(60-150 cm) Zone 2
A beautiful vase-shaped fern of great landscape value.
INTERRUPTED FERN
Osmunda claytonia
(60-150 cm) Zone 2
Strong dark green fern. Showy in groups.
ROYAL FERN
Osmunda regalis.
Zone 2.
Variable in height from 60-150 cm or even taller, but usually around 100 cm.
POLYPODIUM
So called Common Polypody is hardly common nowadays and variant crested types that delighted the Victorians are in fact extremely rare. Delightful small rock garden ferns on acid or limestone.
 VIRGINIA POLYPODY
Polypodium virginianum
(30 cm) Zone 2
Growth is slow but it can eventually form large clumps by way of its much branched creeping rhizomes.
POLYSTICHUM
Good garden forms of Polystichum derive from Europe, Asia and North America. They are mostly all evergreen. All need good drainage, particularly in winter.
 CHRISTMAS FERN
Polystichum acrostichoides
(30-60 cm) Zone 3.
Hardy native evergreen fern once popular for Christmas decoration. Adaptable to moist or dry soil in sun or shade.
HARDY SHIELD FERN
Polystichum aculeatum
(90 cm) Zone 4
Impressive as a single specimen plant with glossy dark green fronds
BRAUN’S HOLLY FERN
Polystichum braunii
(60 cm) Zone 3
Forms a crown of dark lustrous leaves. The emerging fiddle heads are covered in silvery scales. A native evergreen fern of moist woods. Shade or sun if soil is moist.
WESTERN SWORD FERN
Polystichum munitum
(60-100 cm) Zone 6.
Does not reach full potential in eastern gardens unless the humidity of coastal B.C. can be duplicated.
TASSEL FERN
Polystichum polyblepharum
(60-120 cm) Zone 6
This native of Japan and Southern Korea is very handsome, does well in rich soil and appreciates consistent moisture.
ALASKAN FERN
Polystichum setiferum ‘Angulare’
(60 cm) Zone 5.
A ‘Mother Fern’ that produces small plantlets along the main stem. These can be detached and grown on.
SOFT SHIELD FERN
Polystichum setiferum
(45-60 cm) Zone 5
A lovely fern for partial shade in soil that is never dry.
HERRENHAUSEN SHIELD FERN Polystichum setiferum ‘Herrenhausen’
(60 cm)
Spacing 90 cm. Very dense fine cut, with overlapping leaflets. A luxurious fern for partial shade.
THELYPTERIS
Botanists disagree in the inclusion of some ferns in this genus. Some include Phegopteris and Dryopteris species as being truly a Thelypteris. It will depend on which author you read.
JAPANESE BEECH FERN
Thelypteris decursive-pinnata (Phegopteris d.- p.)
(60 cm) Zone 4
A vigorous fern producing offsets on short runners so it does not spread widely. Associates well with rocks and stone. Not totally evergreen but stays green even after frost.
 MARSH FERN
Thelypteris palustris
(90 cm) Zone 2
Blue-green foliage. Unimpressive in its natural habitat it becomes an attractive fern in cultivation.
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