Description: Delicate, fan-shaped fronds on black, wiry stems.
Growth Habit: Clump-forming fern.
Sun/Shade: Full to partial shade.
Water Needs: Moderate; prefers moist, well-drained soil.
Soil Preferences: Rich, humusy soil.
Benefits: Adds elegance to shady gardens. Deer-resistant and low-maintenance. Great for woodland gardens and shaded borders.
 
From Prairie Moon Nursery: Maidenhair Fern is highly recommended for home landscaping; it makes a nice border with Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) and is deer resistant. This fern has black, wiry stems and delicate, airy, green fronds that curve into a semi-circle. They can grow up to 2 feet tall and about a foot across. They spread slowly by means of a creeping rhizome and are easy to grow in the woodland garden, provided it is not too dry. If so, they will go dormant and come back to life when there is enough moisture in the soil again. They grow well in the same kind of environment favored by hostas.  Another common name in use is Northern Maidenhair Fern.