I like ferns, but I've had terrible luck with them. The one that ended up doing the best, was also one that I think is just an amazing looker: Japanese Painted Fern. The one I had, had almost silvery foliage with the dark, purpley center.

I'd like to try an ostrich fern again, but the last time I tried it, I had bare-roots that I planted, but the fern never showed :(

Wow--thanks for all then names--I'm going to print it and carry it in my car. You never know what you're going to find at the big box. I've seen so many plants that I know are definitely not hardy that I haven't wanted to invest in ferns. We ammended tons of soil last fall and I'm ready to start adding plants! It's still only a tiny fraction of what I would like to do, but if I can fill my current beds then just continue expanding out into the woodlands with future divisions. I have lots of patience, but don't think I could raise ferns from spores--seems like it would be hard.

Skybird - I'm so glad you started this thread. I've been trying to get more variety in my shade areas & looking at all the photos online of other peoples gardens, I really wanted some ferns. So, I bought a dozen of them from Springhill this year - received them a few weeks ago & potted them up.

While I was waiting for my order it occured to me that ferns may not do good in Colorado, so was wondering how I would get them to survive. I have a bad habit of planting things in the wrong place just because I like them. But it sounds like most should do OK here...that's great news. I'll read up more on the links you posted & hopefully get mine to do well. Some are showing there curly little heads now so I'm hopeful...

Thanks!!!
- Sherri

For those of you who may want to try them, the more organic matter you have in the soil, the more likely they are to do well. When you find them growing naturally, and walk into the area where theyre growing, youll usually find the soil is soft and almost spongy from all the debris thats decomposed around them over the years. Now theres no way were ever going to get that kind of soil in our yards, but adding a lot of organic matter will really improve your odds of success. And then theres the lite factor! With our high altitude sun, they should be kept completely out of anything even approximating "midday" sun! The only midday sun that might work would be if its HEAVILY filtered thru a tree or bush. Intermittent midday sun wouldnt work because the sunny "half" of the intermittent would burn them. So shade or heavily filtered sun, or some early morning or late afternoon direct sun will work.

Mine are against the north side of a two-story hours. The only direct sun they get is the early morning and late afternoon type, and they seem to like the conditions.

So put them in some pretty good soil, with bright indirect lite or the right sun conditions, keep them moist to wet all the timethey WAY do not like dry soiland they really shouldnt be that hard to grow.

Mine are all up and looking good this year, but they really havent gotten much bigger than when they were first put in because I didnt have any "good" compost yet, and they were planted in way too much clay. When I have time I want to dig each of them up, mix in LOTS of my yummy homegrown compost, and replant them, but I dont know when Ill get around to itand the ostrich fernthat one, I think, is gonna stay in the clay!

You CAN grow ferns out here, and I dont know what the genus and species are, but they do grow wild out in the hills. Years ago up near Steamboat I saw huge fields of them one time, and Ive seen them other places too.

Skybird

(Resurrects five-year old thread...)

Hi Skybird!

Are you still growing ferns in your yard? I recently acquired an unlabelled 2 inch-high mystery fern that had found it's way into the "fairy garden" section of the local nursery, and after a bit of research and talking to fern hobbyists online, it looks like it very well might be a Polystichum polyblepharum (Japanese tassel fern) which can grow up to be at least four feet across!

Have you ever heard of anyone having success with this species in Colorado? I was planning on growing it indoors until I ran out of room, but now I'm wondering if, with a northern placement with plenty of mulch, it might survive outside, instead?

Thanks,

Laura
(formerly laura_42)

I'm terrible with keeping track of varietal names for things in my garden. But I've had a very pretty silver/green/red fern in my yard for probably 10 years. It grows on the North side of the house where most of my hostas grow. It has never gotten very large, but it's very pretty.

I bought another fern last year and planted it under my peach tree. I haven't seen any evidence that it came back this year. But it may be too early to tell.

Laura, I'm not ignoring you, have just been REALLY busy lately! This will need to be short!

Yes, I am still growing ferns. All the ones I have are still the ones that were planted in the original "potter's clay," so they're not "spreading" much at all. I still want more--but there are SO many things I want! Some of it gets done and some doesn't!

The most successful one I have is the Japanese Painted fern, which has spread "moderately" (again, in HEAVY clay!), and looks great every year. It's just starting to grow for this year. Is usually semi-evergreen, but the wild temp swings Got It, like everything else that's "evergreen" got GOT this year!

Next most successful is my Autumn Fern (don't have time to look up genus/species). I love that one because the new fronds coming out have a real bronzy look to them--thus the name! It hasn't really spread much, but it does come back "solidly" every year. "As time permits" I'm still planning to dig my existing ferns to GREATLY improve the soil and then replant them. Some day!

The Ostrich fern, which is supposed to be invasive, and the Leatherwood fern both come back--BARELY--with one or two fronds every year. So they "still exist," but sometimes I wonder if I should put them out of their misery! Again, if I ever have time I'll dig and improve the soil--and see if they make it and start doing better.

I still want a hardy maidenhair fern some day--and there are plenty of others I'd like to try!

I'm not familiar with the Japanese tassel fern, but I looked it up and it IS hardy (I think it was z5), so I'd say plant it outside and see what happens! The more organic matter you put in the soil, the happier it will be! Give it mostly shade--some early morning or very late day sun should be ok. The north side of my (two story) house is already getting some sun I just noticed today. Otherwise keep it fairly wet, and for sure don't let the soil dry completely, or with some ferns they get "suddenly crispy" and, while they usually survive the "trauma," it can take them a long time to recover and grow new fronds. A thick wood mulch would definitely help with moisture retention in the soil--and did I mention LOTS of organic matter!

Have to go! Let us know later in the summer how it's going!

Skybird

I live just N/of Denver. I grew up in Anaheim, CA and have always been enthralled wtih cinnamon ferns! They grow ENORMOUS in So Cal still! Every trip, I go back to my old neighborhood to take photos and 'awwww' away at them! So, this week (5/9/2016), I am having a large concrete slab poured next to my front porch. Then I will be making a three tier circular planter. Each tier will rise about a foot from the last and I will have about 8 inches in btwn each. My plan, and it's on a shade part of the house, is to plant cinnamons in each of the tiers.. I am soo excited !!!