All native plants

A LITTLE MORE LIFE

Christmas fern

Polystichum acrostichoides

Evergreen fronds provide winter cover close to the ground and nesting material for songbirds.

Pinnate fronds of varying lengths.
Photo by Cranbrook Science · CC BY 2.0

MAKE IT FEEL AT HOME

A spot to thrive.

A clumping fern for well-drained woodland soil; avoid standing water around the crown.

Sunlight
Shade
Soil moisture
Average moisture
Mature size
1–3 ft tall · 1–3 ft wide
Season of interest
Evergreen foliage
Hardiness
USDA zones 3–9
Garden role
Year-round fern texture

ONE GOOD SWAP

Instead of japanese painted fern.

Athyrium niponicum

Try christmas fern for year-round fern texture.

Compare plants

NATIVE TO YOUR PLACE

Find it in your state guide.

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

Dig a little deeper.

Photo credits & licenses

Christmas fern: Photo by Cranbrook Science · CC BY 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