Deer fern
Blechnum spicant · Aspleniaceae
Two kinds of frond: a flat rosette of glossy, dark, comb-like evergreen fronds, and a ring of taller, narrower, upright ones that carry the spores.
- Size
- 16 in tall, 20 in wide
- Zones
- 5 to 8
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around deer fern
The planner designed this bed around deer fern when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why deer fern stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Deer fern × 1, dark green leaves
- 2 Moor grass 'Greenlee' × 10, tan
- 3 English primrose × 8, yellow
- 4 Turtlehead 'Hot Lips' × 5, pink
- 5 Tall astilbe 'Superba' × 3, purple
- 6 White bleeding heart × 1, white
- 7 Winter cyclamen × 12, pink
- 8 Grecian windflower × 12, blue
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
Why here
- In the middle. At 16 in it is the step between moor grass 'Greenlee' (12 in) in front and tall astilbe 'Superba' (4 ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- One plant. Three or more is usual for a plant of this kind, and reads better.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, all year. They cover the 9 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
- The only leaves in winter. From November to March it is what there is to look at.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 5 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Turtlehead 'Hot Lips' and tall astilbe 'Superba' anchor the back corners of the bed: the tallest plants on the plan stand there. English primrose and moor grass 'Greenlee' finish the front edge.
The planner's own design check: 13 Excellent, 2 Good, 2 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where deer fern goes in a border
At 16 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
A neat, small evergreen for the front of a shady bed. It must have acid soil and does best in cool, humid summers.
- Evergreen ferns for acid shade
- With rhododendrons and other acid-loving shrubs
- Cool, moist climates
What to plant with deer fern
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Rhododendron 'PJM': adds the flowers, late April to mid May; tall enough (5 ft) to stand behind it; happy in the same moist soil.
- Lenten rose: adds the flowers, late March to early May; bold leaves against its medium ones.
- Hosta: bold leaves against its medium ones; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about deer fern
Does deer fern need sun or shade?
Deer fern grows in part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light). It is one of the few that also put up with deep shade.
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does deer fern grow in?
USDA zones 5 to 8. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).
Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should deer fern be planted?
18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 20 in (50 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 16 in (40 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many deer fern plants do I need?
At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is deer fern poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Is there a native plant like deer fern?
Deer fern comes from Northwest Africa, Europe to Iran, Japan. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Bulblet fern: the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, fine leaves, not medium.
- Christmas fern: the same job in a bed; belongs in the middle, not at the front, 4 in taller.
- Northern maidenhair fern: the same job in a bed; belongs in the middle, not at the front, 4 in taller.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat deer fern?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What does deer fern look like in winter?
Deer fern keeps its dark green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Fern
- Size
- 16 in (40 cm) tall, 20 in (50 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Medium texture, evergreen; dark green
- Shape
- Arching, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 5 to 8
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Aspleniaceae
- Comes from
- Northwest Africa, Europe to Iran, Japan
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, deep shade
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.