Dryopteris marginalis24" tall. Also known as Evergreen Wood Fern.
Strong sturdy stems and slightly glossy leathery grey-green fronds make this one of the best ferns for floral arrangements. In late spring it’s great fun to look for immature sori (spore cases) on the underside of the frond. Hunt for small green bumps along the margins of the subleaflets. Later in the year, the sori change color to rusty-brown.
Evergreen leaves flourish through the winter and can be found in rocky wooded slopes in Canada, onwards south to Alabama and farther west to the Rocky Mountains.
Ferns make wonderful low-maintenance foliage plants that thrive in woodsy humus-rich soil and lend a serene aura to a shady garden or landscape. Mulch with 2" of leaves if necessary to keep crowns from drying out. All of our ferns are nursery propagated and not dug from the wild.
Performs best in less than 3 hours of sunlight per day but will tolerate more if you ask nicely. Plant 12" apart in moist well-drained woodland soil. Z3. (bare-root crowns)
Items from our perennial plants warehouse ordered
on or before March 7 will ship around March 26
through late April, starting with warmer areas and finishing in
colder areas. Orders placed after March 7 will
ship around late April through early-to-mid May, in the order in
which they were received.
ships in spring
7670
Leatherwood Fern
Additional Information
Herbaceous Perennial Plants
When you receive your order, open the bags and check the stock immediately. Roots and crowns should be firm and pliable. Surface mold is harmless and will not affect the plant’s future performance. Store plants in their packaging in a cool (35–40°) location until you are ready to plant. If it’s going to be awhile, you can pot up your perennials.
Do not plant bare-root perennial plant crowns directly outdoors before danger of frost has passed. Wet and/or cold conditions for an extended period may cause rotting.
Planting Bare-root Perennials
After danger of freezing has passed:
Dig a hole 2 or 3 times bigger than the plant stock.
Add a little compost if needed.
Fan or spread out the roots to encourage root development.
Fill hole with soil, pressing out air pockets as you go.
Keep the planting area free of weeds.
Mulch around the crown with straw or wood chips.
Avoid applying mulch directly on top of crowns as they could rot.
Mark the location with a plant label.
Check your plants daily in the first 2 weeks after planting!
If you cannot plant right away, you have two options:
Store bags of bare-root plants in a dark and cool (35–40Ëš) place.
Pot up plants in well-drained slightly moist potting mix. Avoid coiling the roots in the bottom of undersized containers. Set pots in a protected spot in part-shade until you’re ready to plant.
You must protect your herbaceous perennials from:
Freezing
Sun-shock in the first 2 weeks
Long periods of cold and wet conditions
Too much or too little water
Absentee gardening!
Ferns
Flowerless spore-producing perennials represented by more than 10,000 species worldwide, ranging from 70' tropical tree ferns to teensy plants sprouting from cracks in alpine rock. In Maine we enjoy lush fern displays all summer on the roadsides and in the woods. More and more people are using ferns as foundation plantings and in all kinds of shaded spots.
Ferns make wonderful low-maintenance foliage plants that thrive in moist woodsy humus-rich soil and lend a serene aura to a shady garden or landscape. Mulch if necessary to keep crowns from drying out.
