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A LITTLE MORE LIFE

Crested wood fern

Dryopteris cristata

Native fronds cover moist shaded ground, with some foliage remaining through mild winters.

Single, erect frond with pinnatifid pinnules
Nature Serve · CC-BY-SA 2.0

MAKE IT FEEL AT HOME

A spot to thrive.

Give this spreading fern moist, acidic, fertile soil; fertile fronds die back while sterile fronds can persist.

Sunlight
Shade
Soil moisture
Moist to wet / Average moisture
Mature size
1–3 ft tall · 2–6 ft wide
Season of interest
Seasonal foliage
Hardiness
USDA zones 3–7
Garden role
Fern texture for a wet woodland
Athyrium nipponicum 'Pictum'ProteinBiochemist · CC BY 2.0

ONE GOOD SWAP

Instead of japanese painted fern.

Athyrium niponicum

Try crested wood fern for fern texture for a wet woodland.

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NATIVE TO YOUR PLACE

Find it in your state guide.

Reviewed native coverage. Choose your state to see more alternatives.

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Dig a little deeper.

Plant profile & growing information Native range: Kew Find a native nursery
Photo credits & licenses

Crested wood fern: Nature Serve · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Japanese painted fern: ProteinBiochemist · CC BY 2.0

Resized, converted to WebP, and cropped in the layout. Each photo retains its listed license. All photo credits