Description
Photo Attributes
homeredwardprice on Flickr, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Sten Porse, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Athyrium filix-femina (Lady Fern)
A low shrub of sandy and gravelly sites. This species fixes nitrogen and will spread by root suckers. Aromatic and mound-shaped, occurring in dense colonies. Growing with multiple stems and spreading branches. It is both the larval host of Grey Hairstreak butterfly (Strymon melinus) and feeds the adult butterflies in their northern range.
Landscape size: 2-5 feet
Catkins Bloom: May, Jun, Jul, AugÂ
Growing Conditions
- Light Requirement: Full sun
- Soil Moisture: Dry, medium
- Soil Description: Average, well drained soils
