Dryopteris: Wood Fern

Family: Dryopteridaceae

Genus: Dryopteris

Common Name: Wood Fern, Shield Fern, Buckler Fern

Many species are evergreen. When the fiddleheads are unfurling, many of the Dryopteris have attractive scales in the tips, as well as along the base of the stipe in mature fronds.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, mostly everyone is familiar with the appearance of ferns in the woodlands. Big sword ferns nestle on the ground underneath the soaring cedars and Douglas firs, while maidenhair ferns daintily flutter as they cling to rocks along a waterfall. Deer ferns will be a surprise at eye level growing on the knobby bark of an old maple tree. Wood ferns are found in the forests, fields, and wet areas of the Northern Hemisphere, with many being found in eastern Asia and the Himalayas.

Ferns are also useful garden plants, especially in the shade garden or the woodland garden. The numerous varieties of wood fern add softness and texture. They can be a filler plant in the shade garden, or since many Dryopteris are evergreen, they can be the striking feature plant. They combine particularly well with ornamental grasses, Hostas and Farfugium.

Many Dryopteris have colorful new growth in shades of bronze or red. This enchanting feature nominates them for perfect contestants for containers and hanging baskets. A few wood ferns in a hanging basket could recreate the classic Boston fern baskets as seen hanging in the balconies of the French Quarter in New Orleans. The added bonus is wood ferns are hardy in our climate, and if you pick an evergreen one, it will look good year round.

Dryopteris freely hybridize in the wild, making them sometimes difficult to identify, but also producing many different plants and features that makes them good ornamental plants. All the Dryopteris are sturdy, strong-growing garden plants with few problems which makes them easy and versatile. Best of all, they are virtually maintenance free.