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Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum)Foliage

Japanese Painted Fern

Athyrium niponicum

Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum) is a perennial, hardy in USDA zones 3-8, that matures to about 1.8-2 ft × 2-2.5 ft. It does best in part shade and full shade with medium water needs in well-drained soil. It stands up well to deer and rabbits.

USDA zones
3-8
Sun
Part shade, Full shade
Water
Medium
Mature size
1.8-2 ft × 2-2.5 ft
Maintenance
Low
Soil
Well-drained
Tough against
Deer, Rabbits
Native to
Eastern Asia

In the landscape

BorderPondRock wallWoodlandRockShade

Freeze survival

Will it survive your winters?

Hardiness zones show a normal bad winter. We check the worst one — Japanese Painted Fern is hardy to about -40°F (estimated from USDA zone 3), so we'll score it against the real coldest nights your area has actually had.

Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.

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