Maryland Native Plants

Dryopteris marginals – Marginal Wood Fern

Dryopteris marginalis is a clump-forming, evergreen native fern that is a wonderful addition to any shade garden. Commonly called Marginal Wood Fern, this native is a well-behaved, non-colonizing fern that is never aggressive. It is vase-shaped and can grow up to 1.5’-2’ tall and equally as wide, and features grayish-green, deeply cut, 15-20″ long leathery fronds. Like most ferns, it grows best in dappled to light shade, and this fern prefers low to medium moisture. It prefers acidic soils but is adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions.

Dryopteris marginalis provides wonderful winter interest as it can be seen protruding through the of snow, and its blue-green color makes for a stunning contrast to the surrounding white.

This soft, vibrant green fern is most often found in the woods in surrounded by trees or in crevices of bluffs or rocky ledges. It got it’s name Dryopteris because in Latin dryas means oak and pteris means fern. It’s species name marginalis is due to the fact it’s sori are located at the edges or margins of the pinnule undersides. Sori are groups of sporangi which contain the spores, these spores are how the fern reproduces.

When planting Dryopteris marginalis I like to combine it with late blooming asters and fringe trees (Chionanthus virginicus) for interesting fall color combinations. In addition, it also works well with native prairie perennials such as purple coneflower, black-eyed susan, and bee balm. However, in prairies it is found along with big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), and other grasses and forbs.

-Alex

Dryopteris marginalis

Blog Author: Alex Wiitala