Sensitive Fern
Onoclea sensibilis
Broad, boldly lobed fronds for moist shade, plus dark beaded fertile fronds that stand through winter like sculpture. Spreads fast where happy.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
Those dark, bead-like fertile fronds standing through the winter are unique among ferns. and the summer foliage is bold and distinctive.
Sensitive Fern is one of the most recognizable native ferns: distinctive broad, irregular fronds with deeply cut lobes that look nothing like the typical feathery fern silhouette. The fronds emerge bronze-tinged in spring, deepen to fresh green through summer, then go down at the first frost with a quickness that explains the common name. But before going dormant, it sends up separate fertile fronds with dramatic dark brown, bead-like spore cases that persist all winter like botanical sculpture. Those persistent fertile fronds, standing on bare, leafless stems through December and January, are genuinely ornamental. They catch snow and morning frost, look intentional in winter garden compositions, and make excellent dried material for arrangements. Cut them when the spore cases are fully formed and they'll last all season in a vase. Plant it in moist, shaded to partly sunny spots: rain garden edges, low woodland areas, and along drainage paths. It spreads readily by rhizomes in ideal conditions; give it room and let it naturalize for a lush, low-maintenance fern colony that fills in fast.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown sensitive fern propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant sensitive fern instead of Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) in moist shaded areas. Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Part sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 1.5–2.5 ft · 18–36 in wide
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Onocleaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America, from Newfoundland south to Florida and west to the Great Plains; moist habitats
Care notes for sensitive fern.
Plant in part shade to full sun in moist to wet, well-drained soil. Tolerates seasonal flooding. Spreads readily by rhizomes in moist, fertile conditions. give it room to fill in or divide in spring to manage. Remove old fronds in early spring. The fertile fronds make excellent dried material. No fertilizer needed in moist soil.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside sensitive fern.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.