Does anyone have any experience with successfully growing ferns in our area. I love ferns. I have planted some throughout the years, but they never survived. I would love to hear the names of ferns that grow successfully here. Thanks a million for your thoughts and advice.
Ferns
you can do a google for ferns for zone 8, evergreen ferns and evergreen for southern gardens. It should give you good ideas and when you run across the name more than once, then they're likely winners for your garden.
I have some, noids, and I've lost more. probably because of the heat and less than perfect TLC. I think your weather is probably a little bit kinder on ferns and you should have a nice selection to pick from.
I've found that Wood Fern does exceptionally well and will perform in the sun - at least a half day of it. It is invasive, to me, and I had to really dig and dig to get rid of it.
Ann
Here are some ferns that are growing in my yard:
Southern Shield Fern, Southern Wood Fern, Southern Maiden Fern, River Fern (Thelypteris kunthii) - dies back and returns in the spring
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/51486/index.html
Japanese Shield Fern, Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) -evergreen, has done well for me
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1812/index.html
Japanese Holly Fern (Cyrtomium falcatum) - evergreen, love this one
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1812/index.html
Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum var. pictum) - evergreen, has not done as well for me as the others
Korean Tassel Fern, Japanese Lace Fern, Holly Fern (Polystichum polyblepharum) - evergreen, does great for me
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2144/index.html
Foxtail Fern 'Meyersii' (Asparagus densiflorus) - love it; don't know if it is hardy in your zone; probably would have to be in a container and protected in the winter. It grows well in more southerly parts of San Antonio, but I have been afraid to put iy in the ground in my far nortwest San Antonio location.
Indian Holly Fern, Simplicior Holly Fern, Variegated Shield Fern, East Indian Holly Fern
(Arachniodes simplicior 'Variegata') - beautiful. but it grows very slowl
I hope this list ahas helped ...
Thank you all so very much. Your comments and suggestions have helped me tremendously.
Your welcome. I hope you find the perfect ferns for your landscape. I love ferns too.
hazel that is invaluabe info. From your links I think I have Southern Shield Fern, a beauty, that has also done well for me.
east Indian Holly fern, another beauty and I agree, slooooooowwwwww.
japanese painted fern, has not done well for me.
Australian tree fern, a beauty, has done well for me, but definitely needs winter protection.
vossner, I have always called the southern shield fern "river" fern. I had at one time dug it up in one area because I wanted smaller growing evergreen fern in the area. The evergreen fern I bought obviously was not suited for San Antonio weather and died. Luckily, I had not dug up all of the river fern tubers and it came back the next year. I am happy that it did. I like to cut fronds and place them in flower arrangements. I have always wanted to try an Australian tree fern - glad to know that it would need winter protection. I am attempting to nopt have any mopre plants that can't handle a hard freeze for an extended period of time. I wonder why the painted fern has not done well for either of us. 2 of mine died. I moved the 3rd one to another location and it has not grown much for 3 years.
Just a footnote. Planted Australian Fern last year and it was pretty finicky for me. Finally discovered that the rash and itching on my arms and legs came from contact with this fern. Dug it up and chunked it. Not usually allergic to anything but poison ivy. Others have had better luck.
LouC, thanks for the information.
I would think for a long time before planting asparagus fern. I've heard it's terribly invasive and impossible to get rid of. I have some in a pot and it spent the winter in a sheltered spot outside with only a sheet over it and I think I watered it once or twice all winter. I always pick all the berries off too so they don't plant themselves.
I have had no luck with Jap painted fern either. I have holly fern (thanks to htop) and it's doing very well with just a sheet of row cover over it for the winter. There is a native form of maidenhair fern that grows on the River Walk in SA. I have button fern, rabbits foot fern, staghorn fern, boston fern and one other I can't remember the name of, but they all go to the gh for the winter.
button fern has steadily decreased for me over time, so I'm keeping my eye in that spot as eventually I will plant something else there.
wow, would love to try the native maidenhair one. The southern MH has been too delicate for Houston heat.
Rabbits foot and staghorn fern that I grew in pots didn't survive due to me being a bad mommie and not watering. I have planted a staghorn in ground, full shade and very moist area and so far, so good.
Asparagus fern I keep controlled in a container and still, I wonder if the seedlings I see here and there are from my potted plant.
Foxtail fern would be nice planted inground and should do well for you.
Ohyes, that's another one I have, foxtail fern but in a pot, so it goes in the gh. Is it supposed to be hardy here?
I don't know how easily the asparagus fern seeds sprout, but I always pull them off. I found the native maidenhair fern at Lowes. I also have a male fern that I finally managed to get into the ground on the north side of the house. I'll have to cover it for the winter, but it got so big that it was just too much trouble to put in the gh. It was in a huge clay pot and when DH had to carry it, all you could see was his legs.:) We'll just have to see if it survives Mother Nature. I never heard of putting a staghorn fern in the ground. I've always seen them just tied to a board. I decided to try a variation of that. I hollowed out a mesquite log, filled it with sphagnum moss and weighted the fern down with a few rocks till it took root.
I had an asparagus fern in a pot for years. Decided to put it in the ground a couple of years ago. Left to overwinter. It totally dies down and appears to be gone and then one day here it is again. The place where it is planted needed to be filled in so it works just fine. This was last year and it is peaking out of the ground now.
Australian Sword Fern is virtually indestructible in my garden. And it's pretty.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/67459/index.html
This message was edited Apr 29, 2007 12:41 PM
I have asparagus fern in the ground, but it's in almost total shade and in not very good soil which I totally ignore, so it doesn't move a bit. It always looks nice and green and happy, but it hasn't tried to escape at all.
Boston fern, on the other hand, would be happy to take over my whole garden, so I keep thinning it out and taking lots of volunteers to round ups. Anyone want some more? :-)
The one you gave me last year looks great Marylyn. I do however have a rosy maidenhair in a pot from last year that is not so great. I don't know what I do that it doesn't like, but it is not happy. Does anybody know of any special requirements this plant has that other ferns don't have?
I find maindenhair fern extremely delicate for my area, so I have given up on it. Do try Royal Fern. It not quite as delicate looking, but nice and relatively easy to find. Also low maint. For some people, it can be vigorous, but hasn't been for me, in fact it goes dormant in the heat of summer. My Royal is planted inground, mostly shade, and has close access to water.
That should have been the same care maidenhair should need, but again, has been too delicate and frail for Richmond, TX (sorta Houston)
When I first bought this house my oldest sister and I were walking around the property surveying my new queendom. Outside the back door she pointed out a maidenhair fern growing by the steps. I wasn't into plants then so it was not a big deal to me....could have been a weed for all I knew, but she just went crazy over how HUGE it was. Not long after, I repaired some plumbing on the kitchen sink which was just a few feet away inside along that outside wall. It wasn't long before the fern died. She told me then that it must have thrived on the leaking drain line's water. I just acquired a tiny one recently. I have it in the shade on the same side that the original one was. Hoping it does well now. Of course... that was 25 years ago and trees have grown or been removed so we shall see...
Just realized that I don't have an asparagus fern after all. You have been so kind not to point that out. This is a really common variety but I don't know what it is. Any Id?
Hmmm. Well I just went and looked at your picture again and it looks like an asparagus fern to me. Were you talking about something else?
I looked up royal fern on PF and saw the cristata. That looks like a really neat fern. I'll try to find that one. Thanks Vossner.:)
LouC you do have asparagus fern Sprengeri. I have 4 "asparagus ferns" that are quite distinct one from the other. It would be so much better if I got in the habit of using botanical names rather than common, especially in the fern category where nomenclature is so darned complicated/convoluted, IMO.
but that one is definitely Sprengeri.
Well, I sure do thank you for again teaching me a lot. I have been trying to learn the proper names but it is so much easier to just say "rose", "petunia", Zinnia, etc. I know, I know we are here for more than that. I let the Sprengeri stay in the ground for the winter and as before it totally died back. Because it tended to take over last year I dug way under it and just put the root ball in a large pot. It is now putting out and growing like a "weed". I'm just too clever today. I love you all. Many days you are the link to my sanity.
Wow! Since I last visited this thread, lots of new info has been posted. Thanks a million.
I had taken this pic to highlight the hosta (Gold Standard), but upon closer look, I noticed there are three of my ferns, which do well in my hot Houston (Richmond) garden.
One on the middle left is Royal Fern, goes dormant but returns
One on the upper left is Plumosa Fern, evergreen
One on the upper right is Australian tree Fern. Thought I'd lost it to the cold snap in Feb. but all's well now.
This message was edited May 7, 2007 10:13 PM
Thanks for the picture, Vossner; the hostas and ferns look so lovely and healthy. On what side of your house are the hostas and ferns planted?
north side. In the summer and fall, I have bananas that have grown tall enough to provide additional shade. It's a dark and moist area back there.
I plan to plant mine on the north side of my house. Hope they work as well as yours have. Thanks for the info.