What Colors Are Ferns?

Beneath Fanciful Foliage

• The same pigments that bring color to vegetables and flowers are behind the colors seen in ferns. Plant pigments exist in different levels in different plants, but often remain hidden by the green color caused by chlorophyll. In the same way that green leaves can reveal underlying colors of orange and red when chlorophyll levels drop in autumn, those same pigments shine through in some ferns. From shades of red and purple to orange, golden-yellow and cream, ferns appear in a spectrum of colors including green.

Cold-Climate Color

• Many colorful ferns exist that do well in colder climates. Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum var. pictum) has fronds of dark bluish-green awash with silver, held on deep burgundy stems. The cultivar "Ursula's Red" (Athyrium niponicum var. pictum "Ursula's Red") displays even deeper reds with pewter tones. Both are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9. "Brilliance" autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora "Brilliance"), hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9, breaks out in spring with fiddleheads of bright salmon that contrast with the mature, green fronds. Also called croziers, the curled fiddleheads unfurl to fronds of coppery red.

Tender Fronds

• For milder climates, rosy maidenhair fern (Adiantum hispidulum), hardy in USDA zones 7 and 8, adds delicate fronds with small leaflets of rosy red. Silver ribbon fern (Pteris cretica "Albo lineata"), hardy in USDA zones 10a through 11, often doubles as showy houseplant. Multiple shade of green edge the creamy white centers of its variegated foliage. The fronds of chain fern (Woodwardia unigemmata), hardy in USDA zones 7a through 9b, emerge red then mature to orange, yellow and green. Several more vibrant, picturesque cultivars of these colorful ferns can be found.

Crozier Care

• Even with so many different types of ferns, similarities define their needs. Ferns do best in conditions that duplicate woodland environments where they are naturally found. Most ferns thrive in plantings that provide humidity, moist soil and shade. High, open shade like that found under mature trees or along the north sides of buildings is ideal. Many fern colors intensify in cool weather and shade. Slightly acidic soil with plenty of organic matter to combine moisture retention and good drainage meets fern needs. Rather than fertilizer, an annual mulch of fine pine bark, pine needles or coarse compost will help retain soil moisture and boost appropriate nutrients.