Cinnamon Fern

Those cinnamon-brown fertile fronds rising in early spring before anything else is up are one of the most beautiful early-season moments in the woodland garden.

In early spring, Cinnamon Fern sends up erect, bright cinnamon-brown fertile fronds before any green growth appears, columns of warm spice color rising from bare ground like botanical torches. They turn deep brown as the season progresses, then the surrounding vegetative fronds unfurl, large, graceful, lance-shaped, creating the classic vase form that makes Cinnamon Fern one of the most recognizable native ferns in the woodland garden. The contrast between the central cinnamon fertile fronds and the surrounding green vegetative fronds is genuinely beautiful, and the fronds stay attractive all season. Hummingbirds use the woolly material from the frond bases as nesting material, a behavior worth watching for in spring when the new growth is unfurling. Plant it in moist, shaded sites: along rain garden edges, at the base of shaded slopes, or in woodland gardens where consistent moisture is available. It forms large, impressive clumps over time that create bold structure in the mid-story of the shade garden. The golden fall color of the fronds adds a final burst of seasonal interest before dormancy.