Japanese Painted Fern
(Athyrium niponicum)
Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum)
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Leonora (Ellie) Enking
CC BY-SA 2.0
Image By:
Leonora (Ellie) Enking
Recorded By:
Copyright:
CC BY-SA 2.0
Copyright Notice:
Photo by: Leonora (Ellie) Enking | License Type: CC BY-SA 2.0 | License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ | Uploader: wallygrom | Publisher: Flickr
Estimated Native Range
Summary
Athyrium niponicum, commonly known as Japanese Painted Fern, is a deciduous fern native to the shaded forest floors and moist, rocky areas of eastern Asia, including Japan, Korea, and China. It typically forms a tufted clump reaching 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 centimeters) tall and wide, with a creeping rhizome. The fronds are variable in length, generally 12 to 30 inches (30 to 75 centimeters) long, but occasionally over a meter in length. The fronds are noted for their striking gray-green to silver foliage with contrasting reddish or purplish midribs, which can be quite showy.
Japanese Painted Fern is valued for its ornamental foliage and its ability to thrive in shady garden conditions, making it an excellent choice for woodland gardens, shaded borders, and as an understory plant in shaded areas. It requires consistently moist soil and is best grown in part to full shade. It is relatively low maintenance and is resistant to most pests and diseases. The cultivar ’Silver Falls’ and the variety A. niponicum var. pictum have both received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit, indicating their exceptional qualities for garden use.CC BY-SA 4.0
Japanese Painted Fern is valued for its ornamental foliage and its ability to thrive in shady garden conditions, making it an excellent choice for woodland gardens, shaded borders, and as an understory plant in shaded areas. It requires consistently moist soil and is best grown in part to full shade. It is relatively low maintenance and is resistant to most pests and diseases. The cultivar ’Silver Falls’ and the variety A. niponicum var. pictum have both received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit, indicating their exceptional qualities for garden use.CC BY-SA 4.0
Plant Description
- Plant Type: Fern
- Height: 1-3 feet
- Width: 1-2 feet
- Growth Rate: Moderate
- Flower Color: N/A
- Flowering Season: Non-Flowering
- Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Growth Requirements
- Sun: Part Shade, Full Shade
- Water: Medium
- Drainage: Medium
Common Uses
Border Plant, Butterfly Garden, Deer Resistant, Low Maintenance, Potted Plant, Rabbit Resistant, Rock Garden, Street Planting, Water Garden
Natural Habitat
Shaded forest floors and moist, rocky areas of eastern Asia, including Japan, Korea, and China
Other Names
Common Names: Japanese Silver Painted Fern
Scientific Names: , Athyrium niponicum, Athyrium niponicum var. pictum, Anisocampium niponicum, Athyrium brevisorum, Athyrium pachyphlebium, Asplenium niponicum, Athyrium niponicum f. cristato-flabellatum, Asplenium brevisorum, Athyrium chekiangense
GBIF Accepted Name: Anisocampium niponicum (Mett.) Yea C.Liu, W.L.Chiou & M.Kato