Choose Hart’s Tongue Fern As a Unique Accent for the Shade Garden
For bold texture in the shade garden, plant hart’s tongue fern, a hardy species with wide, flat fronds.
Hart's tongue fern is an evergreen, hardy fern that boasts wide, flat foliage instead of the fine, lacy fronds typically expected of a fern. Its bold texture complements other shade-loving foliage perennials, while its upright vase shape offers relief from the woodland garden's mounding forms.
Common name: Hart's tongue fern
Botanical name: Asplenium scolopendrium
Origin: Europe
Foliage: Evergreen fronds grow long, broad and flat, with a wavy margin and ribbed surface. Bright to deep green depending on season, darkening with age.
Size and habit: Hart's tongue fern takes on a vase shape thanks to its upright to arching fronds. It can reach 18 inches tall and wide.
Growing hart's tongue fern
Exposure: Part shade, dappled light, full shade
How to grow it: Plant hart's tongue fern in a shade garden where it will receive minimal direct sun. It prefers regular, even moisture but needs good drainage to avoid rot. Like many woodland plants it benefits from a rich soil built from organic materials such as fallen leaves. USDA Zones 5–9.
Image credit: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
