Ghost fern
Athyrium 'Ghost' · Aspleniaceae
A cross between lady fern and Japanese painted fern, with the upright habit of one and the silver of the other: stiff, pale, silvery-grey fronds.
- Size
- 2½ ft tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 8
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- Not checked
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around ghost fern
The planner designed this bed around ghost 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 ghost fern stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Ghost fern × 3, silver leaves
- 2 Lingonberry × 8, pink
- 3 Leadwort × 11, blue
- 4 White snakeroot 'Chocolate' × 3, white
- 5 Korean feather reed grass × 1, pink
- 6 Fringed bleeding heart × 3, pink
- 7 Checkered lily × 10, purple
- 8 Snowdrop × 7, white
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
Why here
- At the back. At 2½ ft it is seen over fringed bleeding heart (16 in) in front of it, and has nothing behind it to hide.
- A step in the back row. Next to Korean feather reed grass (4 ft) and white snakeroot 'Chocolate' (3½ ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, spring to frost. They cover the 9 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 6 of the 6 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. There is more leadwort than anything else, 11 plants in all. The flowers stay on the cool side of the palette: pink, blue, purple and white.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 6 Good.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where ghost fern goes in a border
At 2½ ft it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium (24 in to 2½ ft).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
Silver and upright, which is a rare combination in shade. It glows at dusk. Plant it in front of dark leaves, such as bugbane 'Brunette', to show its colour.
- Silver verticals in shade
- Lighting up dark corners
- Contrast with dark foliage
What to plant with ghost fern
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta 'Halcyon': bold leaves against its fine ones; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
- Bugbane 'Brunette': adds the flowers, early September to early October; tall enough (5 ft) to stand behind it; happy in the same moist soil.
- Coral bells: low enough (12 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about ghost fern
Does ghost fern need sun or shade?
Ghost 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 wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does ghost fern grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °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 ghost 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 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 2½ ft (75 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many ghost 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 three in one group.
Is there a native plant like ghost fern?
Ghost fern is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Victorian lady fern: the same job in a bed and the same size.
- Western maidenhair fern: the same job in a bed; 6 in shorter.
- Palm sedge: the same job in a bed and the same size.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
What does ghost fern look like in winter?
Ghost fern dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.
More Athyrium
- Eared lady fern Athyrium otophorum
- Japanese painted fern Athyrium niponicum var. pictum
- Lady fern Athyrium filix-femina
- Lady fern 'Lady in Red' Athyrium filix-femina 'Lady in Red'
- Painted fern 'Godzilla' Athyrium 'Godzilla'
- Victorian lady fern Athyrium filix-femina 'Victoriae'
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Fern
- Size
- 2½ ft (75 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium (24 in to 2½ ft)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Fine texture, herbaceous; silver
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Aspleniaceae
Not yet checked against an outside reference: its figures rest on general horticultural knowledge. 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.