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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.
Mature size, 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.
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 1.6 ft tall and 2 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years.
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. For the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 9 range, spring means March to May and fall means September or October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 7 in March.
Good to know about Autumn Fern
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
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.
Beautyberry
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; taller at 4.9 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.