NICE-Natives Improve and Conserve Environments Spring 2020 Plant of the Season Wood Fern, Thelypteris kunthii: Perennial for full- to part-shade and moist soil

Description: Wood Fern, Thelypteris kunthii, also called Southern Shield Fern and Kunth’s Maiden Fern, is a deciduous fern that grows 1-3 feet tall and 1-3 feet wide. Very occasionally, specimens may reach 5 ft in height and diameter. In nature, Wood Fern is found in woodlands, wetlands, stream banks and near seeps in Texas and the southeastern US. T. kunthii is named in honor of Carl Sigismund Kunth, a German botanist who studied American plants in the early 1800s. Wood Fern’s fronds are light- to medium-green and will take on bronze Photos courtesy of Alan Cressler (left) and Sonnia color in the late fall and go brown as they Hill (right) die back in winter.

Flowers and Seeds: Not applicable. Ferns reproduce using spores that form under their leaves. They do not flower or set seed.

Planting sites: Wood Fern thrives in part shade to full shade in moist sandy, loam, clay or limestone- containing soils. It will tolerate poor drainage, as long as the soil is not compacted. Wood Fern requires moist soil and is not appropriate for soils that will completely dry out, although it can survive brief dry spells. Wood Fern flourishes in average to rich soil and will appreciate organic soil amendments.

Watering Instructions: Wood Fern’s water requirements vary with the amount of sun it receives: the more sun it receives, the more water it will need. It requires supplemental water during drought.

Comments: Wood Fern works well in a cottage garden, in mixed borders, and as a ground cover in shade and woodland gardens. It spreads easily by rhizomes to form colonies, but is not especially aggressive. Wood Fern is low maintenance: the brown fronds should be cut back before new growth appears in the spring. It is deer resistant. Consider planting Wood Fern instead of non-native, weedy and invasive Mariana Maiden Fern (Macrothelypteris torresiana) or Marsh Fern (Thelypteris palustris). Companion plants include those with similar soil and water needs: perennials Fall Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana), both Spring Obedient Plants (P. intermedia and P. pulchella), Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) and Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana L.). Other Texas native plants that will tolerate moist soil are suitable as companions as well.

Look for the NICE Plant of the Season signs and information sheets on your next visit to a participating North Texas nursery. Thank you for using native plants in your landscapes.