Common Lady Fern Athyrium filix-femina

Athyrium filix-femina, commonly called lady fern, is a deciduous fern that features lacy-cut, erect or ascending, 2 to 3-pinnate or pinnatifid, finely-divided, lanceolate, light green fronds which grow in a dense circular shuttlecock-like clump to 2-3' tall. Each frond (leaf) has twenty to thirty pairs of elliptic non-opposite pinna (leaflets) with narrow pointed tips. Each pinna is divided into deeply-cut lanceolate to oblong pinnules (subleaflets). Sori and indusia are found on the undersides of the pinnules. This is a circumglobal species which is found in rich moist woods, thickets, fields, meadows and ravines throughout northern North America, Europe and Asia.

Genus name comes from Greek athyros meaning doorless in reference to the slowly opening hinged indusia (spore covers).  Specific epithet comes from Latin filix meaning fern and femina meaning woman as confirmed by the common name of lady fern.

Easy to grow; vigorous; forms dense clumps; spreads rapidly; protect from strong wind, since fronds are easily broken; prefers shade but will adopt to sun with adequate moisture; erect rhizome. This plant is seldom damaged by deer.

VIDEO Created by NC State Extension's Homegrown series featuring Mark Weathington, Director of JC Raulston Arboretum.