← Bedfellow

Oak Fern

Gymnocarpium dryopteris

Oak fern is a delicate, ground-hugging fern of cool northern forests, spreading by thin rhizomes into airy triangular-fronded carpets in deep shade.

Family
Cystopteridaceae
Type
fern
Lifespan
perennial
Height
0.5–1 ft
Spacing
1–2 ft apart
Light
part shade, shade
Soil moisture
moist
Soil pH
acidic, neutral
Landscape uses
groundcover, container, erosion control, naturalizing
Native states
AK, CO, CT, ID, MA, ME, MI, MN, MT, NH, NJ, NY, OR, PA, VT, WA, WI, WV