Athyrium 'Godzilla'
Add to Wishlist- In stock, ready to ship
Athyrium 'Godzilla': Monster-Sized Silver Fronds on Purple Stems
Your regular painted fern is cute, but 'Godzilla' is that fern after it found the protein powder. Huge arching silver fronds on dark purple stems, stomping across the shade like it's got a city to flatten. ALL MONSTER, NO MESS.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Athyrium hybrid
- Common Name: Giant Japanese Painted Fern
- Height: 90 cm (3 ft)
- Spread: 180 cm (6 ft)
- Flowers: None. Ferns reproduce by spores.
- Foliage: Large, arching fronds in silver and green with dark purple stems. New fronds have a reddish tint in spring. Deciduous.
- Features: Fills large shady spaces
Where to Plant: Use it where you need a lot of coverage in the shade: along a woodland edge or as a big, soft anchor in a shade border. It also makes a graceful transition between lawn and woodland. Leave it plenty of elbow room.
Companion Plants: Astilbe 'Fanal' sends up red plumes in June and July, a rich contrast to the big silver-grey fronds. Uvularia grandiflora opens yellow bells in April and May, before the fern is at full size. Heuchera 'Autumn Bride' brings white flowers from August to October. Each one is happy in the same moist shade.
Plant Care: Plant it in rich, moist, humus-rich soil in part shade or bright shade. Morning sun is fine, but hot afternoon sun will scorch the fronds. Keep it watered in its first season and through dry spells, and mulch with shredded leaves or compost. It goes dormant in winter. Cut the old fronds to the ground in early spring before new growth starts. Divide in spring if you'd like more plants, though you probably won't need to for years.
History: 'Godzilla' first appeared as a volunteer at Plant Delights Nursery in North Carolina in the mid-1990s and was introduced in 2009 by the nursery and its Juniper Level Botanic Garden. It's believed to be a cross between a Japanese painted fern and a nearby lady fern, and it was named after the famous Japanese movie monster.
Final Thoughts: Got a big shady gap you're tired of looking at? Send in the big guy. THE DEER HAVE ALREADY EVACUATED.
