Siebold's Wood Fern Dryopteris sieboldii
- Phonetic Spelling
- dry-OP-ter-iss see-BOLD-ee-aye
- Description
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Siebold's wood fern is a slow-growing, evergreen herbaceous perennial in the polypody family (Polypodiaceae). It is native to southeastern China and Japan. The species epithet commemorates German physician and botanist Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold (1796–1866), who introduced European medicine to Japan and Japanese plants to Europe.
This fern is easy to grow in partial to full shade in well-drained, humus-rich, moist soil. Once established, it is fairly drought- and heat-tolerant. It is evergreen to about 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is a good ornamental fern with broad, leathery leaves. The slow-growing fern has short, creeping rhizomes. It can ultimately grow up to 3 feet wide by 3 feet high.
Plant in a woodland setting or small spaces. It also does well in Asian, shade and winter gardens. It can also be grown in a container.
VIDEO Created by NC State Extension's Homegrown series featuring Mark Weathington, Director of JC Raulston Arboretum.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Dryopteris
- Species:
- sieboldii
- Family:
- Polypodiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- South China and Japan
- Distribution:
- Eastern China, Japan, Taiwan
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Heavy shade, This plant is seldom damaged by deer.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Fern
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Semi-evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Creeping
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Description:
- No fruits. This plants reproduces via spores.
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Flowers:
- Flower Description:
- No Flowers.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Semi-evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Leathery
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Fronds
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Other/more complex
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Arching sterile fronds; erect fertile fronds with slightly narrower pinnae; have only 2-5 pairs of broad, leathery, undivided pinnae; terminal pinna is 8-12 in. long
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Small Space
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Asian Garden
- Rain Garden
- Shade Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Small groups
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Heavy Shade
