Gymnocarpium dryopteris

Common Names

Oak Fern, Northern Oak Fern, Common Oak Fern, Western Oak Fern

Summary

Oak fern is a circumboreal, deciduous fern with a rhizomatous, low-growing spreading habit and triangular, 2–3-pinnate fronds that are bright green, it reproduces by spores on the undersides and does not flower, forming colonies in cool, shaded, moist forests and rocky slopes, its fronds are distinctive in form and color, and the plant persists as a ground-hugging performer in woodland settings, in cultivation it prefers cool, shaded, moist soils with neutral to acidic pH and well-drained conditions, it can be propagated by division in spring or by spores, and serves well as ground cover or border planting for woodland and shaded gardens, hardy to USDA zones 3–9 (UK hardiness H5).

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

4-20 inches

Spread

10-12 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 2-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade to full shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained loamy soil with organic matter, pH 4.5–6.4

Soil Drainage

Moist, well-drained soil.

Soil pH

4.5-6.4

Bloom Time

Does not bloom.

Foliage Color

Green (yellow-green when young, maturing to dark green)

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Medium

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, and Fall

Propagation Methods

Spores, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Not documented to attract bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, other pollinators, or birds.