Cold Hardy Fern Plants
Growing ferns in zone 5 really doesn’t require any special treatment, provided the plants you ultimately choose for the garden are, in fact, zone 5 ferns. This means as long as they’re hardy to the area, the ferns should pretty much thrive on their own, other than the occasional watering in overly dry situations. Lady fern – Hardy to zone 4, lady fern can reach anywhere from 1 to 4 feet (31 cm. to 1 m.) in height. Extremely tough, it survives in a wide range of soils and levels of sun. The Lady in Red variety has striking red stems. Japanese Painted fern – Extremely hardy all the way down to zone 3, Japanese painted fern is especially ornamental. Green and gray deciduous fronds grow on red to purple stems. Hay-scented fern – Hardy to zone 5, hay-scented fern gets its name from the sweet smell it gives off when crushed or brushed against. Autumn fern – Hardy to zone 5, autumn fern emerges in the spring with a striking copper color, earning it its name. Its fronds turn to green in summer, then change to copper again in the fall. Dixie Wood fern – Hardy to zone 5, dixie wood fern reaches 4 to 5 feet (1-1.5 m.) in height with sturdy, bright green fronds. Evergreen Wood fern – Hardy to zone 4, evergreen wood fern has dark green to blue fronds that grow up and out of a single crown. Ostrich fern – Hardy to zone 4, ostrich fern has tall, 3 to 4 foot (1 m.) fronds that resemble the feathers of which earn the plant its name. It prefers very moist soil. Christmas fern – Hardy to zone 5, this dark green fern prefers moist, rocky soil and shade. Christmas fern’s name derives from the fact that it tends to remain green year-round. Bladder fern – Hardy to zone 3, the bladder fern reaches 1 to 3 feet (31-91 cm.) in height and prefers rocky, moist soil.
