skip to main content

Moss, Ferns & Cryptogams

Morning sun ferns?

18 years ago

I have an area on the side of my house which gets morning sun. It's pretty dry, but I was hoping I could amend the soil and mulch well to help retain moisture. What tall ferns would do well in this situation? Later I may do some shorter ones in front of the tall ones.

Thanks

D

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

brian_7_atlanta
18 years ago
Robust Male Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas Undulata Robusta) is supposed to do well in dry soil once it is established. I don't grow it, though.

Just about any athyrium will do well for your shorter ones. I have Athyrium 'Branford Beauty' (18") thriving in a setting where heucheras are barely hanging on and looking ragged. Athyrium 'Ghost' (24") is another candidate for a medium/tall fern in a dryish setting. I have 3 doing very well. Tassel Fern, Polystichum polyblepharum, is a 12" fern which also does well in dryer conditions. I have 2 which have outlived several heucheras in a part sun bed.
paalexan
18 years ago
When it comes to shorter ferns for that kind of situation, you might want to think about Pellaea wrightiana. See link for pictures of plants in New Mexico. It's a weird plant in that it's mostly southwestern, but has disjunct populations in North Carolina. In any case... it does well in cultivation and prefers sunnier and drier areas than most ferns, as you might guess from the fact that it's native out here in New Mexico. They're not offered for sale by many people, but they're available at plantdelights.com

Patrick Alexander

Here is a link that might be useful: polyploid.net: Pellaea wrightiana
Related Discussions
Morning sun plants in afternoon sun area
Q
Comments (4)
Thought I said "welcome to Gardenweb above," meant to! What you suggest is reasonable to augment shade. You could use lattice, sheer curtain, shade cloth, whatever would suit your setup. There's no such thing as a morning sun only plant, as it seems you already suspect. It's an easy instruction for plants that can be overwhelmed by too much sun and/or afternoon heat. You may be able to adequately shade, but will the heat radiating around it be too much anyway? Something to consider. In nature, shade is not adjacent to heat baking off of a building. A bonsai needs specialized regular maintenance for both the foliage and roots to maintain its' shape and ability to stay in a small shallow pot, which could need to be watered twice a day when it's hot, even with some shade. Not that anyone who wants to can't learn, but may not be what you had in mind. If you just like the look of a little potted tree, it would be a lot cheaper and easier to maintain many other plants that have not been or need to be "bonsai'ed" to live in a (much bigger) pot. That's one of the cool thing about plants, several different ones can look almost the same yet have quite different origins and culture.
...See More
Blackberries - full sun or morning sun only?
Q
Comments (2)
There is no difference in the sweetness of my triple crowns between the north or south facing berries. Your idea to mobilize the plants during the ripening phase is good. Devices with caster wheels are available to place under pots, although you may have to resort to making your own to ensure fitting and durability.
...See More
Containers in full sun versus morning sun only?
Q
Comments (14)
serenae - I used clear plastic cups, and cut drainage slits in the cups. Then I take a ziplock baggie and cut slits in the bottom and top of that for drainage and ventilation. Some rain water as well as melted snow gets inside, but by this time of year it still needs occasional watering. I wouldn't be able to just, spray at the baggies, to get enough water in lol*, so I open all the baggies and spray a little water in that way, then close back up. It isn't really THAT big of a hassle, to me at least, because they are all on my front stoop and I only water maybe once a week at best. Because of that baggies covering the cups a lot of moisture is retained in those containers and until the weather is really warm it doesn't evaporate that quickly. Once the weather is warm enough that it DOES start to dry out quicker, it's also usually warm enough to just open up the baggies altogether. I have also used the gallon sized baggies with containers that I got from plants bought at the garden center, milk jug bottoms and pop bottle bottoms. Here is a pic of a couple from 2009: Here are a few pictures from this year:
...See More
morning sun vs. evening sun
Q
Comments (2)
I'm a newbie gardener(I prefer the eating as to the growing), so I'm a little lost. With my veggie garden I wanted to do a type of tallest-to-shortest arrangement with my plants. But I don't know if I should arrange the plants so most get morning sun or evening sun. (The tallest would shade some of the shortest one way or the other) Oh, and I got corn, tomatoes, cantaloupe, cucumber, squash, cilantro, basil, various pepper plants and strawberry; and live in Sacramento if that helps... Any ideas? Suggestions? Greatly appreciate it :)
...See More
karinl
18 years ago
You're describing almost ideal situations for most Dryopteris and Polystichums, I think. If you want tall, specifically, then the Robust Male is indeed excellent, I've grown that in almost full sun and full drought. Polystichum munitum gets pretty big and is drought-tolerant... but they won't be drought tolerant until the year after you plant or even the year after that. You'll have to water thoroughly every three days or so until they've been through at least one winter and have established roots. For really tall, you can't beat the Dryopteris australis group but I don't know how drought-tolerant they are.
rootdiggernc
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions, especially the tall ones! Those were just what I was looking for. The shorter ones I'll probably wait til next year, but it'll help to have those too. Maybe by then some others that I already have will take some dividing too. I did some searching on the web for pics and then made my list to carry with me.
Again Many Thanks!
D
Iris GW
18 years ago
Thelypteris kunthii might work well as one of the taller ones as well.

Related Stories

HOUSEPLANTS Get a Tropical Splash With a Bird's Nest Fern

By creative jewish mom.com

Sword-shaped leaves make this fern a stunning accent — and you can even mount it on wood for a wall hanging

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Western Sword Fern Adds Prehistoric Drama

For distinctive looks and easy care in a shade garden, go for North American native Polystichum munitum

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Try this giant among ferns for a showstopping sight in a shady or even somewhat sunny woodland garden

PLANTING IDEAS Ferns: A Shade Gardener’s Best Friend

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Bring rich texture and contrast to a dark woodland landscape with wonderfully diverse ferns

FOLIAGE Great Design Plant: Foxtail Fern

By Annie Thornton

Not actually a fern, this vivid member of the asparagus family has a distinctive appearance to awaken a garden year-round

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Fantastic Ferns to Enliven Shady Garden Spots

By Matt Kilburn

For long-term interest with little upkeep in challenging conditions, ferns might just be your garden's new best friend

GARDENING GUIDES 7 Fabulous Shade-Loving Ferns for Containers

By Olander Garden Design

Shade-loving ferns can add color and texture to your container designs

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Sensitive Fern Shows Its Strengths

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Wondering what will thrive in your wet, shady garden? It’s Onoclea sensibilis to the rescue

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Japanese Painted Fern Weaves a Garden Tapestry

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Bring striking colors and texture to your woodland garden with Athyrium niponicum var. pictum

LIFE Morning Nook Tips for Sleepyheads to Get-Up-and-Goers

By Laura Gaskill

Whether you whack the snooze button or spring out of bed, these ideas can help you create a refreshing space that helps you on your way

Sponsored

7 Reviews

Chicago's Leading Clean Energy & Solar Panel Provider