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Athyrium angustum forma rubellum 'Lady in Red' (lady fern)

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Hardy fern grow sheet

Athyrium angustum forma rubellum 'Lady in Red'

lady fern

Strong-growing and dependable, the lady ferns are great garden plants. This selection from the New England Wildflower Society features red stems, making it a great choice to combine with purple-leaved plants. Tough and easy to grow, this beauty is the right choice for perennial borders and woodlands alike. A breathtaking flush of new fronds appears in the spring, with new leaves appearing throughout the season for a continuously fresh look.

SIZE
Athyrium angustum forma rubellum 'Lady in Red' LP32 - 32 per flat Availability
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Height

18-30 Inches

Spread

18-24 Inches

Spacing

12 Inches

Bloom Color

USDA Hardiness Zone 3-8

lady fern Interesting Notes

Athyrium filix-femina angustum f. rubellum 'Lady in Red', or subarctic lady fern, is strong growing and dependable. It grows shorter than the straight species, between 2-2 ½ feet tall and spreads to 3’ in five years. Its fine luminescent foliage is contrasted with a dark brilliant red stem, making it a great choice to combine with perennial borders and woodlands alike. A breathtaking flush of new fronds appears in the spring, with new leaves appearing throughout the season for a continuously fresh look.

Lady fern flourishes in bright shade and moist, rich, organic soil. Athyrium filix-femina is circumglobal but the subspecies, angustum or subarctic lady fern, runs from Greenland to North Carolina and can be found in floodplains, forest edges, forests, swamps, and woodlands. While it does tolerate wet feet, it does not tolerate clay. Athyrium tolerates sun if kept cool and moist.

In our shade garden, it partners well with bold leafed foliage like Hosta and Packera and is a great contrast with purple-hued plants like Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’. ‘Lady in Red’ was discovered by John Lynch of the New England Wildflower Society while in Vermont. Like most ferns, Athyrium are deer resistant and provide habitat and nest cover for wildlife.

Athyrium angustum forma rubellum 'Lady in Red' Growing and Maintenance Tips

Lady fern flourishes in bright shade and moist, rich, organic soil. Does not tolerate clay. Tolerates sun if kept cool and moist.

Good Substitutions

Japanese painted fern Athyrium niponicum 'Regal Red'
lady fern Athyrium filix-femina
lady fern Athyrium angustum forma rubellum 'Lady in Red'
lady fern Athyrium filix-femina 'Victoriae'

Key Characteristics & Attributes

Full Shade
Full Shade
Part Sun
Part Sun
Moist
Moist
Deer Resistant
Deer Resistant
Cut Flower
Cut Flower

Additional Information

Green Infrastructure
Woodland
Plug Type
Landscape Plug™
Attributes
Ornamental Foliage
Propagation Type
Open pollinated