Athyrium niponicum Pewter Lace - Painted Fern

Athyrium niponicum Pewter Lace, sometimes called Lady Fern, is an exceptional deciduous fern, its bronze foliage with silvery hues is finely enhanced by purple stems. It will be superb in partial shade, bringing an elegant uniqueness to your woodland borders.

Native to Japanese forests and belonging to the Athyriaceae (Dryopteridaceae) family, Athyrium niponicum Pewter Lace is a fern with trailing rhizomes, with medium-sized growth ,40 x 40 cm (16in), perfectly hardy, at least down to -15°C (5°F). It forms a beautiful clump within a few years and bears magnificent arching fronds, with a quite unusual colour: bronze with silvery hues, enhanced by the purple hue of the stems.

It is an easy plant to grow as long as you meet its needs.  Like most ferns, it likes moist but not too wet, humus-rich and rather acidic soils. It will thrive in partial shade, in a sheltered spot away from the winds.

In the garden, its uniqueness will make it particularly remarkable in woodland settings where we recommend associating it with other perennials with metallic reflections such as Heuchera Prince of Silver, Lamium Pink Pewter, or Ajuga reptans Atropurpurea.