Dryopteris x australis
Overview
Uses: Specimen planting in shade, woodland gardens, back of shaded borders, streamside plantings.
Benefits: The tallest fern in this group by a wide margin, sending up narrow upright fronds to four feet and occasionally five in rich moist soil. A naturally occurring hybrid between two native wood ferns, combining the vigor of Log Fern with the height and form of Southern Wood Fern. Semi-evergreen in mild winters, and fast enough to make an impact in a single season.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–9
Sun: Partial Sun/Shade to Heavy Shade
Life Cycle: Hardy Perennial
Growth Habit: Upright, Vase-shaped — arching fronds from a central clumping crown
Mature Height: 3–4 ft.
Mature Width: 2–3 ft.
Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
Summary
Dixie Wood Fern is the one that makes visitors stop. In rich, moist shade it drives narrow, upright fronds to four feet and occasionally beyond, forming a tall vase that reads more like a small shrub than a fern. Nothing else in the native fern palette gives you that kind of vertical presence, and in a shade planting where everything else is knee-high and mounding, the effect is dramatic.
It is a wild hybrid, not a nursery creation. Where the ranges of Log Fern and Southern Wood Fern overlap across the southeastern United States, the two cross naturally, and the resulting plant carries the vigor typical of hybrids — faster growth, greater size, and greater adaptability than either parent alone. Because it is sterile, it produces no viable spores and will never seed itself around the garden.
The fronds are lustrous dark green, more finely cut than Log Fern, and held stiffly upright rather than arching. In the South and warmer parts of the mid-Atlantic they frequently stay green through winter; farther north they die back after hard frost. Clumps expand steadily by short rhizomes into impressive stands but never run.
Care
Dixie Wood Fern Care
Plant Dixie Wood Fern in partial to full shade in consistently moist, humus-rich soil. It appreciates more water than most wood ferns and reaches its full height only where moisture is dependable. Streamsides, low spots, and irrigated beds all suit it well.
Amend generously with compost or leaf mold and mulch to hold moisture. Water regularly through the first season and during dry spells thereafter — plants that dry out stay noticeably shorter. It is more forgiving of heat and humidity than most ferns.
No fertilizer is required in rich soil. Where fronds stay green through winter, leave them and trim only the tired ones in early spring. Where they die back, cut to the ground in late winter before the fiddleheads emerge.
Size
What Size is the Dixie Wood Fern for Sale Online?
Our Dixie Wood Fern ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Dixie Wood Fern Grow?
Dixie Wood Fern typically reaches three to four feet tall with a spread of two to three feet, and can exceed five feet in consistently wet, rich soil. It is the tallest fern in our native selection.
Additional Information
Is Dixie Wood Fern a native plant?
Yes. It is a naturally occurring hybrid between Dryopteris ludoviciana and Dryopteris celsa, both native to the southeastern United States, and it arises spontaneously in the wild where those two species meet. Browse our Native Plants of North America collection for more.
Will it spread or self-seed?
No. As a hybrid it is sterile and produces no viable spores, so it cannot seed itself around. Clumps widen slowly by short rhizomes into larger stands but stay where you plant them.
How do I get it to reach its full height?
Moisture is the deciding factor. Plants in consistently damp, compost-rich soil reach four feet and more; the same plant in ordinary dry shade may stall at two. Deep shade also encourages taller, more upright growth.
Is Dixie Wood Fern deer resistant?
Yes. Deer pass it by, and its height makes it a rare option for adding structure to shaded areas under browsing pressure. See our deer-resistant plants collection.
