Virginia chain fern
Woodwardia virginica
USDA zones4 to 10
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size2 to 3 feet tall3 to 4 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Habit
- Herb , fern
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Not applicable
- Foliage color
- Brown/copper, green, red/burgundy
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Virginia chain fern (Woodwardia virginica) is a fern for ground cover, shade gardens, and woodland areas. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and dry to wet soil of most types. Dark green fronds turn bronze in the fall, and the plant spreads fast from creeping rhizomes, so give it a large space. It sits low on the menu for deer. Birds visit the plant.
Pairs well with Solomon's seal, Wild geranium, and River birch.
Native range
AL, AR, CT, DC, and 28 more places. See all 32
AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WV; NB, NS, ON, and PE.