Question

Ferns   QUESTION: Many thanks for any assistance you can provide.  I live in north-central Massachusetts, and some gardeners I had hired previously planted some ferns which they chose for their distinctive coloring (picture attached - taken today).  They are perennials (I'm not sure if ALL ferns are perennials, but I thought it worth mentioning).  A friend of mine would like to know what they are, so she can get some for her yard.  Can you identify them for me?  

Again, many thanks!

Steven DiCastro, MD

ANSWER: Steven hi;

Wow, these are amazing!  They are undoubtedly Athyrium niponicum pictum, otherwise known as Japanese Painted ferns.  

In your area, they will die back to the ground in the winter, just to emerge in the spring with spectacular shades of silver, green, and red.  They should be shaded and well hydrated at all times.

These should be available, and reasonably priced, at your local garden center every spring (even at Lowe's or Wal-Mart).  This time of year, they may already appear a bit scraggly in the store, but if you plant them now then by next spring they should be quite beautiful.  Some upscale, online, and mail-order catalogs will offer expensive named cultivars with the promise of improved color and performance.  Whether this is true or not is in the eyes of the consumer.

You touched upon one interesting subject: whether ferns are all perennial or not.  Botanically, they are neither.  The term 'annual' or 'perennial' refers to flowering plants, which ferns are not.  Since all ferns will live over multiple years, we can claim that they are (physiologically) 'perennial'.  The deciding issue will be whether they are 'perennial' in your region.  Tender ferns (such as Boston ferns) will be killed by frost, so are considered 'annual' in your region, even though they will survive year-to-year in tropical regions.  Japanese painted ferns are considered herbaceous perennials, which will die to the ground in winter but re-emerge on the spring.  Others, such as the popular Autumn fern, are evergreen and will keep their leaves through winter.  

Anyways...I am rambling.  You did a tremendous job with these ferns and I hope your friend can find some, as well.  Let me know if she cannot and I will see what I can do.

DC

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Wow!  You have my sincere thanks for such a detailed and informative reply.

I put you in for "volunteer of the month".

Two quick follow-up questions:

The ferns are in a shaded, mulched bed, and kept moist by my irrigation system.  Aside from that, I've done little for them.  Do they have any nutritional needs?

Also, since to your undoubtedly expert eye these ferns are quite good-looking, is there a way I can split/spread them (on the off-chance that I got a particularly good-looking cultivar)?

Again, you have my sincere thanks,

Steve DiCastro MD

Answer
Well thank you for your kind words.

I am a fierce believer in the philosophy of trial-and-error with regards to horticulture so I would say whatever you have done - keep it up.  Ironically, the red midrib in these ferns is enhanced by a Nitrogen deficiency so added fertilizer may have provided more growth but less color.

Ferns cannot be reproduced by leaf cuttings like bedding plants.  However, if you were to dig out one plant (roots and all) yould should be easily able to divide vertically to 3 or 4 parts (again, including heart and roots) and then  transplant.

Another method of reproduction is by spore.  As the plant ages, and especially if it becomes stressed, it will produce millions of spores (brown powder on the underside of the leaf).  There are several web resources on how to grow ferns from spores but I like the one from the American Fern Society http://amerfernsoc.org/

Simply navigate to Growing Ferns then to Common Ferns and follow the instructions.  It is a fun process but requires some attention and may often fail for no discernable reason.  

Best of luck and do keep me posted as to how it turned out.

DC