Choose wood fern by habit: a copper autumn fern, a native evergreen or giant, or a male fern.
Choose an autumn fern, a native wood fern, or a male fern
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Copper new fronds in a shade bed | An autumn fern | Do not buy a native leather wood fern if you wanted that copper flush |
| A native evergreen clump | Marginal wood fern | Do not buy a deciduous male fern for winter green |
| A 4-foot woodland giant | Goldie's wood fern | Do not fill that spot with a 2-foot autumn fern |
| A deciduous shuttlecock | Male fern or golden shield | Do not buy a lady fern or painted fern |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of dryopteris that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Read the tag for the copper flush, the native clump, or the male shuttlecock, then pick that kind. [1] Goldie's is the giant of the genus, about 4 feet, in rich moist woods. [2] Male fern was named against lady fern — it is still Dryopteris, not Athyrium. [3] Site and watering are on How to Grow Wood Fern.
Which wood fern should I plant?
Pick habit first: a copper autumn fern, a native evergreen or giant, or a deciduous male fern.
Is Japanese painted fern a wood fern?
No. Painted fern is Athyrium, a lady fern. Wood fern is Dryopteris.
Browse by kind
Autumn ferns
Autumn fern is the Japanese shield fern — copper-pink new fronds that settle to glossy green. Brilliance is the brighter garden selection of the same species.
Native eastern wood ferns
Marginal wood fern is the native evergreen leather wood fern. Goldie's is the giant, about 4 feet, deciduous. Intermediate, spinulose, crested, and Florida wood ferns sit here too.
Male and golden-shield ferns
Male fern is a deciduous shuttlecock, 3 to 4 feet. Golden shield fern is the golden-shield class — similar vase, scaly stipes. Neither is a lady fern.
Western and alpine kinds
Coastal wood fern is the West Coast wood fern. Alpine wood fern and Jurassic Gold are the alpine class, with shaggy and spiny kinds on the same moist-shade rule.
Crested wood fern wants wet ground — and Goldie's is the giant
Crested woodfern sits in wetter ground than a dry-shade autumn fern — swampy woods, seepage, and rain gardens, not a water basket. [4] Florida wood fern is the southern wet-ground species in this list. Goldie's is the size outlier: about 4 feet, with room to a 6-foot clump. A 2-foot autumn fern will not fill that space. Dixie wood fern is a southern hybrid that is not in this catalog.
If you wanted winter-green leather fronds, buy a marginal wood fern — an autumn fern is the copper flush.
FAQ
Is Dixie wood fern in this list?
No. Dixie wood fern is Dryopteris × australis, a southern hybrid that is not in this catalog. Florida wood fern is the wet-ground species in this list.
Is male fern the same as lady fern?
No. Male fern is Dryopteris filix-mas. Lady fern is Athyrium. The names are old garden contrast, not the same plant.
Is male fern a basket fern?
No. A hanging basket fern is Boston fern, Nephrolepis. Male fern is a woodland Dryopteris. Some tags still print basket fern as a shop alias.
Related guides
References
- [1] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/dryopteris-erythrosora/ - [2] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/dryopteris-goldieana/ - [3] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/dryopteris-filix-mas/ - [4] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/dryopteris-cristata/
This note is part of Dryopteris Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors