The hardest of the ferns. A stand out fern because of its eye-catching seasonal foliage. In the spring, the newly emerging papery fronds are bright coppery-red to orange-red. This stunning fall-like color, which gives the fern its common name, persists for several weeks. As the season progresses, the color of the glossy fronds changes to an equally bright green.
The fern has a compact size, which makes it suitable for small spaces. It is not a fast grower; it takes five years for autumn fern to slowly spread to its mature size of about 2 feet. The best time to plant autumn fern is in the fall.
The filigree look of autumn fern foliage is deceiving—this is an easy-to-grow fern, Here are the main care requirements for growing autumn fern:
-
Plant autumn fern in a shady location with soil that is high in organic matter and acidic.
-
Water the newly planted fern until it is established. Established ferns should be watered during dry spells.
-
Apply a generous layer of mulch around the base to keep the soil moist in the summer and insulate the roots in the winter.
-
Fertilize once a year in the spring.
Autumn fern needs to be planted in a location where it gets north or east facing light. The soil should be similar to conditions in the fern’s native woodland habitat in eastern Asia: acidic with a pH below 6.0, containing a high amount of organic matter consistently moist but with good drainage. Until it is established, during the first growing season, a newly planted autumn fern needs regular watering in the absence of rain. In climates with regular rainfall, watering is not necessary. In drier climates, or during dry spells or extended droughts, water the area around the plant slowly and deeply to keep the soil moist, ideally with a soaker hose. Autumn fern grows in a fairly wide climate range; it tolerates both freezing winter weather and does well in moderately warm summer temperatures and high humidity. However, it does not do well in hot or dry weather, and it is especially vulnerable to drying winds that parch the soil.
In the lower range of its climate zone spectrum, in USDA zones 5 and 6, the foliage might die back during the winter but will bounce back in the spring. Autumn fern that has been planted in soil high in organic matter only needs a springtime application of a complete fertilizer.
