Lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina) — Plotwright

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Lady fern

Habit (mature) · Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Lady fern

Athyrium filix-femina

A widespread temperate native fern with delicate finely-divided lacy green fronds in upright graceful clumps. Among the most adaptable native ferns — tolerates a wider light + moisture range than most. Cold-hardy to zone 3 and one of the few ferns suited to colder gardens. Deciduous (dies back fully in winter); reliably re-emerges in spring.

Native: 50 US states + 12 CA provinces

Review: Source-backed

Climate fit: broad (90/100)

Filler

Border

Light

Part shade

Water

Consistent moisture

Mature size

18-36" tall · 24" apart

Hardy in zones

3a-9b

brutally cold to frosty winters

Summer heat range

Cool-Hot

cool to hot summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.

Native in Illinois

Yes

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Native across 62 US states and Canadian provinces — a wide-ranging part of North America's plant communities.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Cold hardiness

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7b

Plotwright

Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)

Well-suited

In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.

✓

Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

°C

°F

Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 41 ecoregions — 40 climate-resilient through 2070 · 1 suited today. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

Arizona Mountains forests

Atlantic coastal pine barrens

Blue Mountains forests

Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

Central Tallgrass prairie

Central-Southern Cascades Forests

Chilean Matorral

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/lady-fern

Sources for every fact

Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

University extension service

Backs 17 fields

Identity

Summary

Plant type

Light

Moisture

Hardiness

Heat zone

Size

Spacing

Habit

Design roles

Seasonal interest

Growth stages

Lifecycle

Regional guidance

Success tips

Designer notes

Wikimedia Commons

Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0

Backs 1 field

Image

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The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.

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