Add a Lot of Sparkle to Your Shade with Jeweled Chain Fern

At a bare minimum , it ’s essential for landscape designers to have a good gumption for color and composition , and a noesis of the industrial plant well fit for their geographic realm . However , one of my preferred job descriptions is “ inspiration Orion . ” divine guidance comes in many forms — the architectural way of the family or a retiring visit to a botanic garden . When starting a new project , my job is to listen and look cautiously and eventually discover the spark that will become the cornerstone for all aspects of the design . Sometimes ( if I ’m prosperous ) it can be as uncomplicated as something that already exists in the landscape painting .

That ’s what happened when I first add up upon beady chain fern . When walking around a Modern node ’s property , I saw the glossy , graceful arching copper frond of this shadowy stone and knew — this plantmuststay . Not only did it remain , but it became the inspiration I was look for when developing the color palette for the intact raw garden .

Best suited for light source to full shade , jeweled chain fern makes an ideal woodland garden plant . In warmer zone it will be evergreen , but in Zone 7 climate it will be semi - evergreen , and it ’s a good idea to keep the tip well mulched in winter . For those living in cold climates outside of its hardiness image ( Zone 6 and below ) , this fern can be grown successfully in pots and institute indoors during winter . It ’s happiest and take care its best when it receives even water and protective covering from drying winds . jewel chain fern is considered pest- and disease - free and only needs its old frond pruned away when they begin to deteriorate — making it a low - maintenance dreaming . Fronds that reach out to the soil can bring about small plantlets . In fountain , when the new growth is starting to go forth , the plantlet can be cautiously removed and transplant to a pot . Just be indisputable you give the materialization moist conditions with gamy humidity while they mature .

While this gorgeous fern stays pretty downcast , give it a wide berth horizontally , as it can turn up to 7 feet in diameter . The new fronds emerge in shades of Salmon River and rust red , then transition to vibrant green as they get on . It ’s this size and colour that makes spangly chain fern a standout focal point plant and is how I utilize it in my designs . I care to geminate it with the bluff gamy foliage of ‘ genus Halcyon ’ hosta ( Hosta‘Halcyon ’ , Zones 3–9 ) , the burgundy veining of ‘ Green Spice ’ heuchera ( Heuchera‘Green Spice ’ , Zones 4–9 ) , and the Paris green blade of golden variegate sweet flag ( Acorus gramineus‘Ogon ’ , Zones 5–11 ) . Since that first sighting and spark of inspiration , jeweled chemical chain fern has become my favorite choice for a shade garden in need of a trivial coruscation .

Jeweled chain fern

Woodwardia unigemmata

Zones:7b–10

Conditions : Partial to full shade ; fat , moist , well - enfeeble ground

Native reach : East Asia

Sources :

Far Reaches Farm , Port Townsend , WA ; 360 - 385 - 5114 ; farreachesfarm.com

Dancing Oaks Nursery and Gardens , Monmouth , OR ; 503 - 838 - 6058 ; dancingoaks.com

Courtney Olander is a horticulturist and landscape painting designer based in Seattle .

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