mother fern
Asplenium bulbiferum
RHS AGM 2024
USDA zones9 to 11
SunHandles partial sun or full shade
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size3 to 4 feet tall2 to 3 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Arching
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Notes
Mother fern (Asplenium bulbiferum) is a fern for borders, containers, shade gardens, and specimen planting. It grows outdoors year-round in USDA zone 9 and warmer, down to about 20°F (-7°C). In colder areas, grow it as a houseplant or bring it indoors for winter. This plant likes part sun to full shade and average to moist soil of most types. The arching, evergreen fronds reach about 35 to 47 inches tall. It sits low on the menu for deer. It needs little care once settled in.
Pairs well with Minuteman hosta, Green Spice coral bells, and Sedge.
Native range
New Zeland.