15 Best Ferns to Grow Outdoors

AUSTRALIAN TREE FERN (Cyathea cooperi, syn. Sphaeropteris cooperi)

Zones: 9-11
Habit: Upright spreading habit
Height/Spread: 15 to 25 feet tall, 10 to 12 feet wide
Exposure: Partial or dappled sun to shade

This evergreen tender perennial has a tall tree-like trunk with large finely textured fronds that create an umbrella-like canopy. Use as a dramatic focal point in a Mediterranean-style landscape, in borders or containers.

AUTUMN FERN (Dryopteris erythrosora)

Zones: 5-9
Habit: Upright clumping habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 2 feet tall and wide
Exposure: Partial to full shade

This colorful fern is named for the coppery-orange tones that occur on the new foliage in spring, giving it a fall-like appearance. Attractive triangular fronds mature to dark green as the season progresses. Plant this semi-evergreen perennial in a woodland border or container. Suitable for small spaces.

CHRISTMAS FERN (Polystichum acrostichoides)

Zones: 3-8
Habit: Mounding clumping habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 2 feet tall and wide
Exposure: Partial to full shade

Native to eastern North America, this hardy evergreen fern is named for its resilience to early season snow. Deep green, leathery foliage is deeply dissected, standing upright to form a lush fountain-like crown. Plant in a woodland shade border or as a ground cover. Cut fronds can be used in Christmas floral arrangements.

CINNAMON FERN (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum)

Zones: 3-9
Habit: Upright vase-shaped habit
Height/Spread: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide
Exposure: Partial to full shade

This native deciduous fern produces upright spore-bearing fronds that that turn brown, with sterile green fronds that emerge around the base. Cinnamon fern is named for the cinnamon-colored fibers found near the base of the fronds. Mass this moisture-loving deciduous fern along a stream or pond, or in a shade border.

HAIRY LIP FERN (Cheilanthes lanosa syn. Myriopteris lanosa)

Zones: 5-8
Habit: Compact creeping habit
Height/Spread: 6 to 12 inches tall, 8 to 15 inches wide
Exposure: Full to partial sun

One of the few sun-loving ferns, this exceptionally drought-tolerant native occurs on rocky outcrops and crevices in the east, midwest, and southern U.S. The finely dissected olive-green fronds and compact habit make this a good companion for alpine plants. Prefers gritty, well-drained soil. Plant in a rock garden, dry border, or container. Evergreen in milder climates and deer resistant.

HART'S TONGUE FERN (Asplenium scolopendrium)

Zones: 5-9
Habit: Upright vase-shaped habit
Height/Spread: 12 to 18 inches tall and wide
Exposure: Partial to full shade

Sword-shaped rippled fronds are undivided for a robust appearance. The bright green foliage forms a neat clump, with brown spores creating a distinct ribbed pattern on the undersides. Use this diminutive evergreen fern in a rock garden, container, as edging, or massed as a groundcover.

HOLLY FERN (Cyrtomium falcatum, syn. Aspidium falcatum)

Zones: 7-11
Habit: Upright clumping habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 2 feet tall, 2 to 3 feet wide
Exposure: Partial to full shade

Holly fern is named for the resemblance of the glossy leaves to holly shrub. The thick leathery fronds stay evergreen in warmer regions. Plant in a shade border, rock garden, or naturalize along a pond or stream.

JAPANESE PAINTED FERN (Athyrium nipponicum var. pictum)

Zones: 3-9
Habit: Upright arching habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 2 feet tall and wide
Exposure: Partial to full shade

Also known as painted lady fern, this reliable deciduous perennial is grown for the patterned foliage in shades of silver, green, and burgundy. Pairing well with many other shade-loving perennials, Japanese painted fern is versatile in woodland borders, mass plantings, as pathway edging, or in containers.

LADY FERN (Athyrium filix-femina)

Zones: 4-8
Habit: Arching vase-shaped habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 3 feet tall, 1 to 2-1/2 feet wide
Exposure: Part sun to shade

Lady fern produces vibrant green triangular fronds with green, red, or purple stems. This hardy deciduous fern is low maintenance and free of pests and diseases. Naturalize in a woodland border, or along a stream or pond.

MAIDENHAIR FERN (Adiantum spp.)

Zones: 3-11
Habit: Mounding or spreading habit
Height/Spread: 6 to 36 inches tall, 12 to 36 inches wide
Exposure: Part sun to shade

Delicate feathery green fronds add fine texture to the landscape. This deciduous perennial can be naturalized as a ground cover or in rock walls where moisture is present. Plant in a shady woodland border, rain garden, or container. May also be grown as a houseplant.

OSTRICH FERN (Matteuccia struthiopteris)

Zones: 3-7
Habit: Upright clumping habit
Height/Spread: 3 to 6 feet tall, 3 to 4 feet wide
Exposure: Partial to full shade

The long feathery fronds are reminiscent of ostrich plumes, hence the common name. New growth unfurls gracefully in spring with a vase-shaped habit that adds elegance to the landscape. Naturalize this hardy deciduous fern in a woodland setting, bog garden, or near a pond or stream.

ROYAL FERN (Osmunda spectabilis, syn. O. regalis)

Zones: 3-9
Habit: Upright spreading habit
Height/Spread: 2 to 5 feet tall, 2 to 3 feet wide
Exposure: Partial to full shade

Named for its elegant structure and texture, royal fern produces tall stands of deeply dissected fronds. Rusty brown fertile spikes accentuate the bright green foliage, which turns reddish brown in fall. Plant in a shade border, rain garden, or along a stream or pond.

SENSITIVE FERN (Onoclea sensibilis)

Zones: 4-9
Habit: Upright spreading habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 3 feet tall, 2 to 4 feet wide
Exposure: Partial to full shade

This hardy deciduous fern is named for its sensitivity to frost. Deeply lobed pale-green fronds emerge in spring from rhizomes, with fertile fronds turning brown in late summer. Grow this easy-care perennial in a cool moist location such as a bog, pond, or water garden.

STAGHORN FERN (Platycerium bifurcatum)

Zones: 9-12
Habit: Spreading habit
Height/Spread: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide
Exposure: Partial to full shade

Staghorn fern, named for the thick green fronds that grow in an antler-like structure, is a slow-growing epiphyte typically grown on a plaque. This tropical, native to Australia and Asia, is slow growing, but becomes an impressive size once it reaches maturity. Display as a decorative accent on a wall or fence outdoors in warmer months and overwinter indoors as a houseplant.

WESTERN SWORD FERN (Polystichum munitum)

Zones: 5-9
Habit: Mounding arching habit
Height/Spread: 2 to 4 feet tall and wide
Exposure: Partial to full shade

Native to western North America, this fern is characterized by long, lance-shaped foliage with deeply dissected leaves. Plants are evergreen or semi-evergreen, with dense clumps of fronds emerging from a crown of scaly rhizomes. Grow underneath shade trees or naturalize in a woodland garden. Adaptable to different soils and is somewhat drought tolerant.