Dryopteris goldiana

Sizes available: Landscape plug

Basics: zone 3-7, 3-4'x4-6', dappled sun to part shade to full shade, prefers moist, rich acidic woodland soils

Common names: Goldie's Wood Fern, Giant Wood Fern, Goldie's Shield Fern

Family: Dryopteridaceae (Polypodiaceae)

Origin/Distribution: eastern North America, native to Maine

Habitat: moist, rich woods, seeps, wet edges in dappled light, low woods

More: Why grow ferns besides your admiration for a plant that has been present on Earth for over 360 billion years? Ferns support wildlife by creating protective cover and shady, moist micro-habitats, in particular for small mammals and invertebrates. The fuzzy covering on emerging croziers is used by birds for nesting material. Ferns help prevent erosion and filter run-off. For the gardener they offer the gifts of graceful architecture and low-maintenance textural beauty. They are also rabbit, deer, and juglone resistant.

Upright and somewhat vase-like, Dryopteris goldiana is the largest Dryopteris species in North America and can hybridize with other Dryopteris. It does not appreciate a windy site or transplanting when mature. It is a slow-spreader. 

Nursery: North Creek

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons