Growing guide · Perennials

Dryopteris × australis

How to grow Dixie Wood Fern.

Tall, upright, and deer leave it alone.

Light
Part sun, shade
Water
Moderate
Zones
5–9
Size
3–4 ft tall, 2–3 ft wide
Spacing
2–3 ft apart.
Pets
Not on the ASPCA pet-safe list; keep it out of reach
See sizes · from $29.99
Tall vase-shaped clump of upright glossy green fern fronds

Light

Part to full shade. Morning sun is fine if the soil stays moist.

Water

Keep it evenly moist the first year; established clumps handle short dry spells.

Planting and soil

Plant in spring or early fall with the crown at soil level.

Feeding

Compost or leaf mulch in spring.

Pruning

Cut old fronds in late winter before new fiddleheads unroll.

Through the year

Fiddleheads in April, full height by midsummer, fronds hold into winter.

If something's off

Brown, crispy fronds mean too much sun or too little water. Otherwise little trouble.

Plays well with

Plant it with friends.

Hosta 'Halcyon'
HostaHosta 'Halcyon' from $36.99
Japanese Painted Fern 'Pictum'
Athyrium niponicum var. pictumJapanese Painted Fern 'Pictum' from $29.99
Foamflower 'Spring Symphony'
Tiarella 'Spring Symphony'Foamflower 'Spring Symphony' from $32.99

Why we stock it: A tall, deer-resistant fern that brings height to shade beds.

That's everything we know about growing it. Thanks for reading.

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Kits with Dixie Wood Fern.

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Shade, But Make It Color Shade garden kit Shade, But Make It Color Proof shade doesn't have to be green. Autumn fernBeech fernCoral bellsCoral bellsFoamflowerZones 5–813 plants · $431.873 × 6 ft in part to full shade
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