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Bring cool and airy elegance to any shady location all summer long.

Lush green fronds and an ability to grow in deep shade make this fern a favorite among gardeners.

The Christmas Fern, 'Polystichum acrostichoides', occurs in both dry and moist wooded slopes, moist banks and ravines. It typically grows in a fountain-like clump to 2' tall and features leathery, lance-shaped, evergreen (green at Christmas time as the common name suggests) fronds. Stocking shape of the pinnae also suggests Christmas.Crosiers (young fiddleheads) in spring are silvery and scaled. Sori appear on the undersides of the pinnae only at the ends (last 1/3) of the fronds. Christmas ferns are asymmetrical with a fine texture and has a moderately dense crown. The evergreen fronds provide good winter interest for the landscape. This fern does not spread but the clumps increase in size over time. These plants serve as hosts for butterfly larvae.

The Cinnamon Fern, Osmunda cinnamonea, occurs in moist, boggy ground along streams and on shaded ledges and grows in clumps to 2'-3' tall, but with constant moisture can reach 5' in height. When new fronds appear, they have a cinnamon color. The yellowish-green sterile fronds remain attractive throughout the summer and turn yellow in autumn.The common name of Cinnamon ferns is in reference to the cinnamon colored fibers found near the fronds base. Osumunda fiber used in the potting of orchids comes from the roots of these ferns. Plant them in a loamy woodland soil in some shade to mimic the natural environment. This fern is used in container plantings, rock gardens, borders, specimen plants and as ground cover. Cinnamon ferns do not have flowers or blooms. This plant tolerates flooding and will grow in wet submerged soils.

The Leatherwood Fern or Marginal Shield Fern is an evergreen fern which typically forms a non-spreading, vase-shaped clump to 1.5-2' (infrequently to 3') tall. This is a woodland fern which is most often found in shaded crevices of rocky ledges and bluffs. Leatherwood Ferns features grayish-green, deeply cut, leathery fronds (15-20" long). These ferns prefer loamy moist soils, and do best in cool position in the garden, so avoid the afternoon sun. The evergreen fronds are very attractive and provide good interest to the winter landscape.

The Sensitive Fern, Onoclea sensibilis, likes moist location in shade or sunlight. Lovely and unusual it reaches a height of 1 to 1-1/2'. This perennial fern consists of a few loose leaves that develop directly from the rootstock. Sensitive fern gets its name from the tendency of the fronds to wither at the first slight frost. It prefers wet meadows and woods, swamps, streambanks; usually in slightly acidic soil. Whether used in borders or as a background, ferns enhance any garden with their gracefulness and their beautiful varying shades of green. Easy to grow almost anyplace...thrive even when other plants fail.

Hart's Tongue Fern, Phyllitis Scolopendrium, is an evergreen fern with creeping rhizomes. Its fronds are strap-shaped, undivided, shiny, leathery, bright green, and up to 16 inches or more long, usually with wavy margins. It has clearly visible brown spore-bearing organs on the undersides. It lies low along the ground, sometimes upright; leaves are up to about 1 foot long. The Hart's Tongue fern enjoys a reasonable amount of light, as well as a moist, slightly acidic soil. The plant is native to Europe, Asia, and eastern North America, and is found on walls, in shady rocky places, and in woods.