We applaud the New England Wildflower Society for discovering this fantastic sturdy form of the native Lady Fern, which roams the eastern and central areas of our country. Forging an elegant vase shape, uniquely colored red-violet stems are hard to miss and look especially vibrant against artful light green, lacy foliage. The dense deciduous clump maintains a fresh appearance as new delicate-looking leaves unfurl throughout the growing season. Unfazed by deer, rabbits and poor clay soil, easily maintained ‘Lady in Red’ spreads gradually and lends bold colorful accents to perennial plantings or woodland gardens.

Size: 18" – 3' 0" high x 18" – 2-1/2' wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Coined the Queen of Green and touted as the “most spectacular of all cultivars” by Dr. John Mickel, former curator of ferns at the New York Botanical Garden, this lush refined fern was discovered in Scotland during the Victorian Fern Craze in 1861. A vigorous mossy-green delight, ‘Victoriae’s filigreed fronds sport a close-knit circular style, featuring pendulous tassel-like crested tips plus criss-crossed pinnae, which form a unique “X” pattern. Lady Fern’s amenable medium-sized guise lends luxe lacy accents to a patio container or woodland path, where it endures wet feet, detests clay and cherishes bright shade plus organic-rich soil.

Size: 18" – 2' 0" high x 18" – 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

This hauntingly beautiful hybrid inherits stellar attributes from each parent, A. niponicum var. pictum and A. filix-femina, thanks to the breeding efforts of Virginia’s Nancy Swell. Strutting a straight-up formal stance, delicate-looking silver-laced new fronds continue to unfurl throughout the season alongside mature leaves that present soft pewter hues, celadon greens and burgundy accents. Easily grown 'Ghost' illuminates woodland shadows with subtle lacy shimmers and a reliable sturdiness.

Size: 2' 0" – 3' 0" high x 18" – 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

In stunning painterly strokes, olive-greens, blues and metallic silvers are splashed across the elegant tapered fronds. garnet-colored midribs etch a fervid counterpoint. Renown for its unwavering hardiness, the ever popular japanese painted fern slowly spreads to form a low growing, textural clump that gracefully weeps, softening the edges along paths, containers or the rockery and electrifying the shadows with Carex ‘Island Brocade’, Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ and Pulmonaria longifolia ssp. cevennensis.

Tolerant of some drought once established, this refined deciduous fern fancies shade, moisture and well draining, humus-rich soil.

Size: 18" high x 2' 0" wide.

Zone 3/4.

Named for the British nursery where it originated, this classy deciduous fern boasts a fanciful cresting that distinctively enhances the sides and tips of each leaf. Graceful arching triangular fronds with dark maroon midribs are bathed in tranquil gray, silver and green shades. Forging a dense colony over time from branching rhizomes, easy-care ‘Apple Court’ casts refined accents beneath shrubs and along shady paths, ponds or streams, where it adores organic-rich evenly-moist soil plus snubs deer and rabbits.

Size: 12" – 18" high x 12" – 18" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

(PP#15,072)

Hardy to zone 4.

Gleaming with metallic highlights plus lavish burgundy-infused stems and veins, the arching triangular smoky-green fronds are a study in elegance. ′Red Beauty′s short branched rhizomes nourish the broad slow-spreading mound that forms a substantial easily maintained colony over time. Undeterred by deer, bunnies and most pests, this posh deciduous fern craves the shadows of adequately moist alcoves, where its feathery fine-hewn textures offset broad-leafed perennials such as Epimedium and Asarum to great effect.

Size: 12" – 18" high x 12" – 18" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Living up to its name, this swank Casa Flora selection boasts reliable color, beguiling texture and vigor aplenty. The fronds’ luminous silver-washed margins sparkle against posh, dark violet-red interiors, while somewhat twisting pinnules render an elegant ruffled appearance. Lasting well into fall and tolerant of occasional drought once established, undemanding ‘Regal Red’ can be featured in cut arrangements or squire fellow shade lovers such as Mukdenia, Begonia ‘Heron’s Pirouette’ and Pieris ‘Little Heath’.

Size: 12" – 18" high x 18" – 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Gracefully arching maroon stems plus mature, triangular pewter-green fronds set the stage for an eye-catching two-toned effect as the new growth unfurls in nearly iridescent lime-green hues. A lover of dappled shade and regular water, this extraordinary upright Asian fern makes a vivacious long-lived specimen for the darker recesses of your garden, where she remains evergreen in milder climates, weds well with Aruncus ‘Horatio’ and appreciates protection from hot sun.

Size: 18" high x 2' 0" wide.

Zone 5/6.