Family Onocleaceae
Originating from N. America and Japan.
Received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
- New fronds emerge red-tinted, maturing to warm yellowy-green.
- Forms a slowly spreading colony of lush, soft-textured delicate foliage.
- Hardy and easy-to-grow in any soil in partial shade.
Sensitive Fern in Your Garden
Colourful and graceful, the soft rounded lobes of this elegant deciduous fern are endearing and intricate. New fronds emerge all spring and summer with red and bronze tints, giving the spreading clump continual colourful highlights. As the leaves mature they maintain a cheerfully bright yellow-green colour.
Hardy in all UK gardens, this special fern reaches 60cm high and 1m wide in 5–10 years. It flourishes in moist, shady conditions but will grow in sunnier spots with moisture at the roots. In sunny Norfolk woodland clearings it holds brighter yellow tones. Suffolk’s deeply shaded stream margins and boggy jungle gardens will enjoy a darker green, lusher, more spreading ground-covering woodland fern.
Despite its robust hardiness, its deciduous fronds die back at the first frost, hence its common ‘Sensitive Fern’ name. It is easy to grow in a range of conditions and makes a great potted specimen for shady patios where it can be viewed close-up.
Growing Tips for Your Sensitive Fern
- Soil and Sun: Plant in moist, humus-rich soil; full to part shade is ideal.
- Planting: Set from early spring to early autumn. Never plant a dry fern—plunge in water for 10 minutes to drench the root ball before planting. Do not add soil improvers.
- Watering: Keep soil consistently moist, in its first season. Established plants tolerate occasional dry spells in damp shade.
- Pruning: Cut back old fronds in late winter/early spring before new growth emerges.
Ground-covering woodland ferns such as Onoclea thrive in the dappled shade of taller plants, a challenging setting for gardeners. In optimal, wet conditions it spreads steadily, making a lush, colourful colony suited to jungle, traditional woodland and oriental gardens.
Planting Ideas for the Ground-Covering Woodland Fern, Onoclea sensibilis
Escape to a serene, soft and sensual, reflective space. Underplant airy and ethereal taller plants with rolling drifts of this delicate, graceful fern. The filamentous canopies and oriental style of Acers ‘Bloodgood’, ‘Skeeters Broom’, ‘Burgundy Lace’ and ‘Trompenberg’ provide perfect, cool dappled shade.
Contrast the dark foliage and architectural poise of lifesize bonsai-style pines with the Sensitive Fern’s billowing colonies. Plant it around specimens of Pinus thunbergii ‘Sayonara’, ‘Thunderhead’ and ‘Banshosho’ for a Zen-style composition and striking tonal effect.
