hay scented ferns - are they invasives ( zone 6)

Hi have been advised to try these ferns to use as a ground cover for dry shade area - but the descriptions suggest they spread rapidly - are these invasive? hard to control?

thanks,

L

Not invasive where it is native in Europe, but I suppose the potential for it to be invasive as an introduction in the USA must exist. Might be better for you to chose a local native species, there are several similar species native in your area - check through the species listed here: http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=110995

Resin

thanks for reminder about natives,did not realize the hay scented was not native, will look through the ones you suggested.

L

It is a fairly rare west European endemic:
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?413438

Bit surprising to see it being suggested, actually!

Resin

Here we see one of the dangers of common names... two quite distinct plants are being discussed. The hay-scented fern of the U.S. is Dennstaedtia punctilobula, whereas the hay-scented fern Resin is referring to is the European Dryopteris aemula.

Dennstaedtia punctilobula is certainly not invasive in the strict definition of the word, since it is a native species. I have heard that it spreads aggressively in some areas; although where I've seen it (Indiana) it is a fairly rare plant restricted to sandstone bluffs.

Patrick

This is a classic example of the problem with common names that cost me so many $$$ and got me into trouble in the past on my own property. I have Dennstaedtia punctilobula here and it is anything but aggressive. D. punctilobula in indigenous to Pennsylvania as well as to Illinois and Wisconsin so grow it to your heart's content if that's the fern you have! Two native ferns that I have seen go a little bonkers are Pteridium aquilinum (Bracken Fern) and Osmunda cinnamomea (Cinnamon Fern). Both are indigenous to your state. I've seen plenty examples of those getting out of control when planted in home landscapes. I'm sure there are many other NA native ferns that get out of control but those two come to mind as being capable of being particularly weedy.

I'm relieved to hear you say that it's not aggressive, Equilibrium, because I planted a bunch (Dennstaedtia punctilobula ) last summer. I was looking for a carpet effect of low growing ferns that I could just plant and then ignore, and those seemed to fit the bill. I have them on a small slope between two tall pines, and they are separated from one of my garden beds by a 3' pathway..I figured if they did start to creep over, it wouldn't be so terrible to reign them back in...hopefully I'm not kidding myself. Time will tell, I guess. For now they look pretty. They couldn't possibly be as aggressive or as difficult to control as my Lily of the Valley. Maybe those two will duke it out one day!

I've seen them growing naturally under White Pines. They're more spread out but they seem to do fine. Sounds like a nice site to grow them.

The Lily of the Valley you might want to considering removing from that area. The Hay Scented Fern will have a difficult time competing with that. Others you might want to consider in place of Lily of the Valley for a nice natural look might be-
Aralia nudicaulis (Wild Sarsaparilla), Mitchella repens (Partridgeberry), and Arisaema spp. (Jack in the Pulpit).

Actually, I cleared out all the Lily of the Valley from that location before planting the ferns last year- or so I thought! There are some stragglers in there now that I have to go and dig out. We have a veritable ocean of LOTV on the other side of the path- so, hay scented ferns on one side, LOTV on the other, like armies ready for battle! Part of me wants it (LOTV) all gone because of it's aggressiveness and the fact that it's toxic (to my dogs)...but on the other hand it's the one thing we have that is truly "established", so it's kind of nice to see a big patch of something, you know? Plus, I cannot even imagine the chore it would be to remove all of it. I've probably removed a quarter of what was there when we moved it, and that has been back breaking in and of itself. So for now I whittle away at it when I can and keep my dogs out with a fence. I'll try to get a pic of the ferns tomorrow. I think I planted a dozen, about two feet apart. They seem to have increased a bit, but my dogs can still walk in between them...though of course it's still early.

I don't think Lily of the Valley is allelopathic so there could be worse there. Just hack at them in little bits as time allows and do your best while planting species you like better and before you know it, you will have many nice plants all coexisting nicely under those trees. It doesn't happen over night although that's what we'd all like it to happen but it will happen- promise.

For what it's worth, my dogs are dumber than boxes of rocks and they don't even try to sample Lily of the Valley. When I pick up a new camera, I'll take a photo of the only contained Lily of the Valley I have ever seen and even that's all going to go bye bye time allowing. It came in a load of top soil. Resilient crappy little plant that taunts me with no mercy and multiplies at night while I sleep.

It's considered a 'native invasive' in NY since it can easily dominate an area. Many areas of Harriman Park where I hike are completely covered by it. Love the smell, but I'd be very cautious about it in my garden.

I think it is invasive everywhere but my yard. lol. We have it and it has never bloomed and has barely spread anywhere. We have maybe 5 LOTV off of one in I don't know how many years. I am always glad. lol.

My dogs have actually never shown an interest in it either, but my younger one just cannot lay off eating stuff in the yard (mostly dandelion heads and grass), so I just try to keep him out of there to be safe. Part of the reason it's so hard to get rid of in my yard is the rocks, again. The roots are sometimes wedged under rocks, so to get the plant out, you gotta move the rocks..hence the bodyaches. If anyone in New England can use a conventional shovel, I'd be amazed. If I were to keep my ocean of it, I was wondering if there was a way to sink like a 12" piece of plastic edging into the ground all the way around it, so that it couldn't move beyond it. Assuming I could dig a twelve inch trench, of course! I don't think anything with much less depth would cut it. I'll post my pic tomorrow- it will give you nightmares, Equilibrium!

pepper, that is funny- my FIL is actually envious of my LOTV because his isn't exactly flourishing. He's only about ten mintutes up the road from us, with similar conditions as far as soil and light go. Whenever I see LOTV sitting in the containers at the nurseries I think, wow, I could get rich! LOL! But that it what I am finding to be interesting as I learn about gardening- one person's nightmare plant is another's dream.

Oh no, I feel an anxiety attack coming. How will I ever be able to go to sleep tonight knowing that tomorrow when I wake up (sound of Jaws music playing in the background of the thread), there will be living color photos of the ever dreaded LOTV! OH MY GAWD! I'll never be able to sleep and it's all your fault noreaster!

Hey I might get some pics later today too. LOL

Hey, where are the photos of the LOTV??? You two gals are all talk!

Say whaaaaaaaaaaat! No photos! And to think I tossed and turned all night long!

I'd post some but I broke my camera and need to replace it. This no camera business is about the equivalent of going without e-mail. I don't know which is worse.

I forgot to take pics. Will go out here in a few and take some. I got buys taking out dandilions out of my tulip bed earlier since it was wet enought to stick a tool in there to loosen the dirt and pull almost the whole root system out. I had some that were almost 3 ft tall getting ready to bloom. lol. Have to get an ivy and a tree out too. The tree is on the foundation and impossible to kill.

Here ya go...if this isn't enough to give you nightmares, I don't know what is.

View from the top

And here you can see the hay scented ferns up the slope. I would like to keep those constrained to the area between the fence, path, and two pines....I hope that doesn't end up being a lot of work. It certainly can't be as bad as taking out that LOTV.

Nice ground cover.

That LOTV looks like it is surrounding a gravestone. LOL.

Here are my little bunches. Only 2 that I could find.

Here's the other one.

Scary, very scary. And I just ate too. Now I will have indigestion. You people have no mercy! Time to get some Tums!

I can find more!! My grandma has them all over her place and she has 5 acres. lol. the yarrow, yellow flag iris, colombine, and garlic are also everywhere there.

I'm, I'm, I'm beginning to feel faint- yellow flag iris!

LOL. Yep. Bury it under several feet of dirt and it still lives. Non killable it seems.

You wicked people, torturing Equilibrium so. I'll go plant some Rosa setigera for you today, Equil.

Thank you watersedge, thank you very much. Chivalry is NOT dead!

hehehehe