Dryopteris marginalis

Dryopteris marginalis: Evergreen Fronds for Rocky Shade

This native fern stays green straight through winter while the rest of the shade garden hits snooze. Leathery blue-green fronds sit in a tidy clump that never wanders. IT STAYS IN ITS LANE AND OWNS IT.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Dryopteris marginalis
• Common Name: Marginal Wood Fern, Eastern Wood Fern
• Height: 45–60 cm (18–24 in)
• Spread: 45–60 cm (18–24 in)
• Flowers: None. Its spore clusters sit right along the edges of the leaflets, which gives the fern its name.
• Foliage: Leathery, dark blue-green fronds in a tidy, non-spreading clump. Evergreen.
• Features: Evergreen, rabbit resistant, tolerates dry shade once established

Where to Plant: This is a great fern for rock gardens, stone walls, shady slopes and woodland gardens. It stays put instead of running, so it suits small spaces and the front of a shade border, and its evergreen fronds give the bed something to look at in late fall and early spring.

Companion Plants: Use this evergreen native fern in a shady woodland bed with rocks, leaf litter and other native plants. Gaultheria procumbens carpets the ground at 10 to 15 cm with glossy leaves and red winter berries. Symphyotrichum cordifolium adds pale blue wood asters at 60 to 90 cm in September and October. Osmunda regalis rises behind at 90 to 150 cm, a royal fern for damper spots. Carex pensylvanica fills in at 15 to 30 cm with fine, arching blades.

Plant Care: Plant in part to full shade in moist, well-drained soil with some organic matter. It's more forgiving than most ferns about rocky or root-filled ground and dry spells once it's established. Water regularly through the first season to get it settled. Avoid soil that stays waterlogged. In early spring, cut away last year's fronds once they look worn, before the new fiddleheads open. It grows as a single crown and doesn't spread, so there's no need to divide it. Never dig this fern from the wild; buy nursery-grown plants.

History: Marginal wood fern grows on shaded rock ledges, rocky slopes and wooded hillsides across eastern North America, including southern Ontario and Quebec. The name marginalis points to the spore clusters set along the leaflet margins.

Final Thoughts: Pair it with spring bulbs and it carries the scene all year. DEER AND RABBITS? NOT ON THE GUEST LIST.