Lady in Red Fern
Athyrium felix-forma 'Lady in Red'
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Lady in Red Fern - 5 Inch Container is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
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Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
From | To | S&H |
---|---|---|
$0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
$20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
$50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
$70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
$100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
$130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
$150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
#1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
#3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
#6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
#7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
Lady in Red Fern highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
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Brand
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Botanical Name
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Growing Zones
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Mature Height
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Mature Spread
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Sun ExposureFull Shade, Partial Shade
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Moisture
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Soil
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Growth RateMedium
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Pruning Time

Growing Zones 3-8
Use these classic shade plants to add visual interest, texture, and contrast to low-light landscapes. Lady in Red Fern (Athyrium felix-forma 'Lady in Red') features bright green fronds with showy red stems. This is an excellent perennial for the shade!
Each spring, the season starts off with a breathtaking flush of light green fronds. But you'll see new leaves emerging throughout the summer, a welcome trait that makes this Fern appear fresh all season long. With their ornamental red stripe, they are also exceptionally beautiful.
Don't let their ethereal, delicate look fool you. These ferns thrive in areas with frigid winter temperatures. They are strong-growing, dependable, and tough, perfect for a low-maintenance shade garden. Try them in your trouble spots to slowly fill into a wonderful garden feature.
The leaves are held upright on dark, brilliant red-violet stems...which are better known as "Fern stripes". Add the lacy fronds to your cut flower arrangements as a backdrop for your featured flowers! Hardy throughout USDA planting zones 3 to 8, these are verdant cold-hardy and heat-tolerant perennial Ferns!
Planting and Application:
Rely on these sultry beauties as a staple for your shade gardens, perennial borders, Cottage gardens, and woodland plantings. Add them to your outdoor containers as a "Thriller" front and center. They also make a fantastic "Filler" plant in modern large arrangements.
From dappled to dim conditions, Ferns have evolved to make the most out of available light. Try a long row of these charming plants along your shaded side yard. Or, add zest in front of taller evergreen shrubs. Lady in Red Fern is a deciduous, easy-to-grow fern that makes a great blending plant for Hosta and other large-leaf plants, such as the round, red-purple leaves of Heuchera.
These Ferns' stripes will coordinate colorwise with the Heuchera leaves, and they'll become an amazing study in contrasts over time. After all, shade gardens are subtle, and require you to take the time to ponder texture, form, shape, and color.
They'll add a boldly ornamental element to mass plantings. Anywhere you've got a shady spot, Lady in Red Ferns makes a great groundcover. They'll slowly grow together to suppress weeds and provide seasonal cover for birds.
Include a comfy bench or hammock near a stand of these astounding Ferns. Create a Meditation Garden on your property! Add a restful note to your space, even in the middle of the city. This tough plant handles urban conditions without trouble. Include a wide bed of Lady in Red Fern on the shaded side as a special backdrop, or around a blissfully splashing fountain in their planting bed or Rain Garden. You can almost hear them grow if you listen closely.
- Lacy Green Leaves on Showy, Red-Violet Stems
- Fine-Textured Foliage Plant
- Verdant Fountains of Vase-Shaped Greenery
- Dramatic Filler in Cut Flower Arrangements
- Spreads Slowly to Become Lush Groundcover
#ProPlantTips for Care:
Lady Ferns thrive where other plants fail! This graceful Fern variety loves rich, organic, well-drained soil that is evenly moist. Add a few handfuls of compost to your backfill soil while planting. Lady in Red Ferns prefers to be grown in partial to full shade. Their root systems appreciate the beneficial support of Nature Hills Root Booster. It creates a symbiotic relationship that helps your plants access water and nutrients most efficiently.
Provide a regular schedule of supplemental water, if you don't get adequate rainfall. These woodland plants love a layer of wood chip mulch, spread to a depth of 3 inches to keep their roots cool and moist.
For en masse plantings, space 18 inches apart on center, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next. Add Mulch between the plants to control weeds. Ferns can be divided and transplanted in spring and early summer.
- Tolerates Full Shade or Partial Shade
- Any Rich Organic Well-Drained Soil
- Prefers Consistent Moisture
- Extremely Cold Tolerant
- Cultivar of The Native Lady Fern
- Deer & Rabbits Don't Prefer the Taste
Recreate the delights of a pretty woodland in your landscape. Enjoy Lady in Red Fern throughout your growing season. Order Lady in Red Fern from the plant experts at Nature Hills Nursery this season!