Lady fern 'Lady in Red'
Athyrium filix-femina 'Lady in Red' · Athyriaceae
A lady fern with vivid, wine-red stems that contrast with the lacy, light green fronds. The colour develops fully in the second or third year.
- Size
- 2½ ft tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 3 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 lady fern 'Lady in Red'
The planner designed this bed around lady fern 'Lady in Red' 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 lady fern 'Lady in Red' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Lady fern 'Lady in Red' × 1, green leaves
- 2 Lingonberry × 8, pink
- 3 Leadwort × 16, blue
- 4 White snakeroot 'Chocolate' × 4, white
- 5 Korean feather reed grass × 1, pink
- 6 Fringed bleeding heart × 3, pink
- 7 Checkered lily × 12, purple
- 8 Snowdrop × 12, white
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 2½ ft it is the step between lingonberry (8 in) in front and white snakeroot 'Chocolate' (3½ 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, 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: 4 of the 5 groups (80%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. A cool scheme: pink, blue, purple and white. Neither end outweighs the other: the visual weight is split 48 to 52, left to right.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 4 Good, 2 Satisfactory.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where lady fern 'Lady in Red' 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.
The red stems show best when the fronds are seen from the side, so plant it beside a path or on a slope. Pick up the red with a dark coral bells nearby.
- Colour in a fern
- Woodland gardens
- Contrast with blue and dark leaves
What to plant with lady fern 'Lady in Red'
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.
- Astilbe: adds the flowers, late June to mid July; happy in the same moist soil.
- Coral bells: low enough (12 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about lady fern 'Lady in Red'
Does lady fern 'Lady in Red' need sun or shade?
Lady fern 'Lady in Red' 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 lady fern 'Lady in Red' grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °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 lady fern 'Lady in Red' be planted?
24 in (60 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is about its full width, so each plant keeps its own outline.
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 lady fern 'Lady in Red' plants do I need?
At 24 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 3 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 6 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 10 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 lady fern 'Lady in Red' 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 lady fern 'Lady in Red'?
Lady fern 'Lady in Red' comes from Europe, Asia and Africa. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Victorian lady fern: the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower.
- Western maidenhair fern: the same job in a bed; 6 in shorter, 6 in narrower.
- Silvery glade fern: the same job in a bed; 6 in taller, 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 lady fern 'Lady in Red'?
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 lady fern 'Lady in Red' look like in winter?
Lady fern 'Lady in Red' 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
- Ghost fern Athyrium 'Ghost'
- Japanese painted fern Athyrium niponicum var. pictum
- Lady fern Athyrium filix-femina
- Painted fern 'Godzilla' Athyrium 'Godzilla'
- Victorian lady fern Athyrium filix-femina 'Victoriae'
In these guides
- Plants for deep shade
- Deer-resistant plants for shade
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Pet-safe plants for shade
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8
Every fact on record
- Type
- Fern
- Size
- 2½ ft (75 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
- Plant
- 24 in (60 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; green
- Shape
- Arching, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 8
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Athyriaceae
- Comes from
- Europe, Asia and Africa
- 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.