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Autumn Fern
Dryopteris erythrosora
Autumn Fern is grown for its foliage rather than flowers, giving the garden structure and color all season long.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Autumn Fern
Plant it in part shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–9. Expect it to reach about 20 in tall and 24 in wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Autumn Fern. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Autumn Fern
Plant Autumn Fern in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 7, the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 9, spring means March to May and fall means September or October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 7, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 7 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Autumn Fern get?
20 intall5 ft 7 inan adult24 inwideSee Autumn Fern in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Autumn Fern
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Autumn Fern about 24 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Autumn Fern to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Autumn Fern's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 5 published sources on July 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical Gardenheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Chicago Botanic Gardenheight, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- Plant Delights Nurseryheight, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- RHSheight, spread and sun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Autumn Fern
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
New fronds unfurl a coppery bronze to pink-red, then mature to glossy deep green, so the plant carries multi-season color and never needs a flower. per NC State
Cold limit varies by source
Hardy Fern Foundation calls it hardy to zone 5, but NC State rates a more cautious 6b floor. Expect winter dieback in a cold spot. per Hardy Fern Foundation and NC State
Naturalizing risk splits by region
NC State warns it may naturalize and calls it weedy in the humid Southeast, while University of Florida says it is not invasive. Keep it from wild areas there. per NC State and University of Florida
Deer and rabbit resistant
Rated resistant to deer and rabbits, and essentially free of serious pests and disease. Unlike hosta, this shade fern is genuinely left alone. per NC State
Drought-tolerant for a fern
Once established, it is one of the more drought-tolerant garden ferns, shrugging off brief dry spells, though it should not be baked dry for long. per NC State
Evergreen; cut back in spring
Evergreen to semi-evergreen: leave the fronds over winter for cover, then cut back the old, winter-burned ones in early spring before the new fronds unfurl. per Missouri Botanical Garden
A slow, well-behaved clumper
It forms a vase-shaped clump and spreads only slowly by short rhizomes, so it stays where you put it and will not run like ostrich fern. per NC State
What pairs well with Autumn Fern
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Wild Ginger
Takes part shade to full shade and moderate water; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Witch Hazel
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; taller at 10 ft, for the layer behind it.
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.