Anyone have any favorite native ferns that are more tolerant of drier soils?
I've checked my native plant guides and booklets (Chesapeake Region) and the four that I consistently find being suggested for drier sites are:
Hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula)
Rattlesnake fern (Botrychium virginianum)
Evergreen Wood fern (Dryopteris intermedia/marginalis)
Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum)
I have more research to do (DG Plant Files and a couple more books) but thought I'd check with fellow native-plant enthusiasts.
There's a slightly elevated area between our water garden and a paved lane that I'd like to do something with and I'm thinking a nice 'fern garden' might be just the thing. . .
Thanks for your thoughts,
Teresa
Native Ferns that are more tolerant of dry soil
I have both the hay-scented fern and evergreen wood fern in my yard and I can attest to the fact that both tolerate dry soil very well. In fact, the evergreen is growing on a high and dry bank down by our creek. I dug both up out of our woods to transplant into the yard.
Sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) is found in open, sunny situations in the wild, which makes me think it would do fine in dry soil.
Ebony spleenwort, christmas fern, cinnamon fern, interrupted fern.
Northern Maidenhair Fern, Bracken, christmas fern to a certain degree.
Those are good choices for Georgia. May work for you also.
Our maidenhair needs a bit moisture here growing closer to streams. The Christmas fern grows everywhere and green all winter.
Debbie in VA
If MD has any native ferns of the Polypodium genus, they should do well.
We have those too and they do great on dry banks here
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