Dryopteris goldiana

Common Names

Goldie's Fern, Giant Wood Fern, Goldie's Wood Fern, Goldie's Shield Fern

Summary

Goldie’s Fern, also called Giant Wood Fern, is a native eastern North American fern that grows upright in a tall clump with fronds produced in groups along the rhizome, reaching about 100 to 120 cm in height and 50 to 60 cm in width with large light green fronds, it is deciduous and non flowering and among the tallest native ferns, deer resistant. It prefers moist to average, well drained soil in partial to full shade, it requires constant moisture and adapts to woodland and shaded garden settings. In landscape use it naturalizes well and works as a woodland edge or mass planting in shade gardens, it is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8 and is low maintenance

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

36-48 inches

Spread

19.5-23.5 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade to full shade.

Soil Type

Moist, loamy, well-drained soil rich in organic matter

Soil Drainage

Well-drained

Soil pH

Acidic to neutral soil

Bloom Color

Green

Bloom Time

Does not bloom in any season.

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Gold/Yellow

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Slow growth; slowly spreading by rhizomes.

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, and Fall

Propagation Methods

Spores, Division via rhizome offshoots, Tissue culture

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds, Attracts other pollinators/wildlife