Plant Library

Description:

A deciuous native fern with shiny green fronds that are gigantic, up to 70 inches; evergreen where hardy; excellent for naturalizing, and woodland groundcover; also great along streams or ponds

Ornamental Features

Giant Chain Fern's attractive glossy ferny pinnately compound leaves remain green in colour throughout the year on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth.

Landscape Attributes

Giant Chain Fern is a dense herbaceous evergreen fern with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Giant Chain Fern is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Giant Chain Fern will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 3 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America.

Giant Chain Fern is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.

At Shelmerdine, we treat this plant as a "HOBBY PLANT" meaning that it is not recognized as winter-hardy in our Zone 3 climate. However, there is a possibility that it could survive winter. Regardless of whether it survives a winter or not, this plant is only warrantied until Nov. 1 of its season of purchase.