Japanese beech fern
Phegopteris decursive-pinnata · Aspleniaceae
Narrow, upright, light green fronds that taper at both ends. It spreads by short runners into a dense, even stand and tolerates heat and humidity.
- Size
- 18 in tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Carpet
A bed built around Japanese beech fern
The planner designed this bed around Japanese beech 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 Japanese beech fern stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Japanese beech fern × 5, green leaves
- 2 Wherry's foamflower × 5, white
- 3 Lungwort × 6, blue
- 4 Northern sea oats × 5, tan
- 5 Bicolor monkshood × 4, blue
- 6 Bleeding heart 'Gold Heart' × 1, pink
- 7 Snowdrop × 5, white
- 8 Hardy cyclamen × 10, pink
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- The only fine leaves here. The rest are medium. A change of leaf keeps plants distinct when nothing is in flower.
Why here
- Under the taller plants. It runs back between them as living mulch: there its job is to cover the soil, not to be looked at.
- 5 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. The front edge is finished with lungwort and wherry's foamflower. A cool scheme: blue, pink, white and tan.
The planner's own design check: 10 Excellent, 6 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Bicolor monkshood is highly poisonous to people, dogs, cats and horses. Northern sea oats spreads aggressively.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where Japanese beech fern goes in a border
At 18 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: carpet. A groundcover planted in threes and fives to cover the soil: along the front, and just behind it.
A neat, uniform, upright fern that fills in quickly without becoming a problem. Its light green brightens the shade.
- Groundcover in moist shade
- Massing under trees
- Hot, humid climates
What to plant with Japanese beech fern
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta: bold leaves against its fine ones; happy in the same moist soil.
- Toad lily: adds the flowers, mid September to mid October; happy in the same moist soil.
- Lenten rose: adds the flowers, late March to early May; bold leaves against its fine ones.
Questions about Japanese beech fern
Does Japanese beech fern need sun or shade?
Japanese beech 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. It copes with soil that stays wet.
What zones does Japanese beech fern grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should Japanese beech 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 18 in (45 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many Japanese beech 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 threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.
In the bed above, the planner used five in one group.
Is Japanese beech 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 Japanese beech fern?
Japanese beech fern comes from Japan, China. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Broad beech fern: the same job in a bed and the same size; medium leaves, not fine.
- New York fern: the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, wants average soil.
- Common polypody: the same job in a bed; 6 in shorter, medium leaves, not fine.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat Japanese beech 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.
Will Japanese beech fern spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by underground runners and can crowd its neighbours. Dig out the edges or divide every 2 to 3 years.
What does Japanese beech fern look like in winter?
Japanese beech 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 Phegopteris
- Broad beech fern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
In these guides
- Plants for deep shade
- Plants for wet soil and rain gardens
- Deer-resistant plants for shade
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Pet-safe plants for shade
- Groundcover plants
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Fern
- Size
- 18 in (45 cm) tall, 24 in (60 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
- Fine texture, herbaceous; green
- Shape
- Upright, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Aspleniaceae
- Comes from
- Japan, China
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, wet soil, 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.