One of the most familiar ferns of eastern North America, Christmas Fern is named for its evergreen fronds. The firm, deep green leaves are a great companion for woodland wildflowers. Shady wooded slopes are its native habitat …
One of the most familiar ferns of eastern North America, Christmas Fern is named for its evergreen fronds. The firm, deep green leaves are a great companion for woodland wildflowers. Shady wooded slopes are its native habitat, and it will thrive in any well-drained soils. Avoid planting it in consistently moist or heavy clay soils, as poorly drained soils can result in crown rot. Resistant to damage from deer, the rhizomatous plants will expand to form a large clump 1 - 2 feet wide, but will not creep or form ground cover. Christmas Fern is jugland tolerant and will grow successfully under walnut trees. Mature plants can be divided in early spring. Mulch with fallen leaves.
Native plants can be grown outside of their native range in the appropriate growing conditions. This map shows the native range, as well as the introduced range, of this species.
Plant Shipping Rates: Plant orders of $50.00 and under, add $9.95 shipping charge. Plant orders over $50.00, add 18% of the total plant cost.
We ship plants in the spring, and in the fall, during our plant-shipping periods. Fall plant-shipping begins on September 11, 2023, and the last day to order plants for fall shipment is October 1, 2023.
During checkout, you will choose a Shipping Week for your plant delivery, from the dates that are available. The week that you choose will be included in your order confirmation email. When your plants have shipped you will receive another email that includes tracking information.
Planting ferns in the spring is most common, but they can be planted at any time during the growing season, and that includes fall planting. If planted in spring, make sure to keep them consistently moist, but not over-watered, during their first season. A site that is protected from the wind also helps ferns establish quickly. If planted in the fall they should be installed in the ground at least 6 weeks before the ground freezes. This is important because it gives the newly planted ferns enough time to root-in before the ground freezes. Fall planted ferns may die-back quickly as they head into a dormant stage, but that does not mean they are dead. In the fall, new transplants typically take less water than in the spring, but still should have the soil moisture checked regularly to make sure it is not drying out completely. In fall you might want to use a marker/ or tag, in the soil to identify the place where you planted them.
Sign-in or create an account to submit a question.
