| Description | Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum pictum) is an easy to grow, outstanding foliage plant for the shade. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (a-THI-ree-um)(nip-pon-IK-cum)(PIK-tum) |
| Plant Type | Ferns - Hardy, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 3-8 |
| Sunlight | best foliage color with some dappled sun, best grown in partial shade to shade, easily scorches in the hot dry sun |
| Moisture | moist, average, avoid dry sites |
| Soil & Site | average, humusy |
| Flowers | non-flowering, reproduce by spores through alternation of generaton |
| Leaves | metallic silver gray with tones of red and blue, best color in the cooler times of the growing season. |
| Stems | stems of the frond are wine red |
| Dimensions | 12-18" tall and will spread to form a clump up to two feet |
| Maintenance | add organic matter on a yearly basis |
| Propagation | division, will show a degree of variation in colors when grown from spores |
| Native Site | Native to China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan. |
| Misc Facts | Was tested in the 2002-2014 Chicago Botanic trials and received a 5 out of 5. Athyrium is for some authorities derived from Greek athuros (spiritless) with reference to botanical characteristics of lady-fern (Athyrium filix-femina), and for others from Greek anthyros (doorless) or anthoros (breeding well), both the latter in relation to the reproductive cycle and spores. (www.plantlives.com) |
| Author's Notes | At a garden I maintained the owner bought 3 of these plants and asked me to try them. I always thought they looked to exotic and wouldn't be hardy to this area. I was wrong since they lasted for many years in a semi-shaded spot in the garden. |
| Notes & Reference | #80-A Field Guide to Ferns (Boughton Cobb), #217-Chicago Botanic Garden (www.chicagobotanic.org) |
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