Japanese Painted Fern
Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'
- Stay Protected with Plant Sentry ™
Japanese Painted Fern - #1 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
Japanese Painted 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
Make your landscape sing this season! It's easy when you choose the right plants to breathe life and color into even the dimly lit corners of your yard. Put the beautiful foliage of Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum') will have all eyes turning towards this shade-loving attention-getter!
Japanese Painted Fern has a 'weeping' shape. It develops into a grand garden fountain...but remains miniature-sized. These gorgeous ferns feature an incredible display of "painted" grayish-green leaves. You'll be fascinated by their purplish veining and accents and entranced by their overlay of silvery hues.
This exquisite selection is a garden standout and every leaf is a masterpiece! This is a great addition to your landscape. Even beginning gardeners will be able to enjoy watching this fern grow and spread to cover ground. Growing throughout chilly USDA planting zones 3 to 8, these colorful perennial Ferns grow under 2 feet tall and wide at maturity!
Planting and Application:
Perhaps you've tried other plants in your toughest shaded spaces...but nothing seems to take hold and thrive. Never fear, the rugged Japanese Painted Fern has won top accolades for good reason! Japanese Painted Fern performs beautifully in those mossy, low places in your yard that always stay a little wet. It thrives even in deep shade and in containers as a focal point planting!
Grant the shady spots in your garden some well-deserved attention. This award-winning choice brightens up the lowest layers of your design with its intricate, finely cut, silvery leaflets and dark maroon midribs and stems. Working under mature trees and their dappled-to-shaded understories, and along the north side of your home.
You'll never overlook the silvery, gray-green, and maroon hues of each feather frond. Turn a high-profile eyesore into a true design feature. While a single specimen can look extraordinary in small space gardens...this plant truly shines in a massed planting. Space them 12 inches apart and they'll grow together in a magnificent groundcover.
Run them all along the eastern edge of your Hydrangea beds. They'll bridge the gap to ground your mixed shrub borders with an elegant ribbon of color. Pair Japanese Painted Fern with Hostas and Heucheras for a spectacular shade garden. They'll thrive in low-lying spots beside stream beds.
More prosaically, why not elevate the look of that despised hollow by the gutter with some Rushes and a mix of our flowering Astilbe - turning it into a Rain Garden? This treatment would be amazing at the edge of a pond or water feature. You'll want to site a dock with a glider to take in the beauty of this thoughtful arrangement each morning with your cup of coffee.
Try them as a hard-working underplanting for your favorite Japanese Maple tree. If you have the room, plan an organic, free-form grouping of three or five...and run Japanese Painted Fern under all of them in a well-mulched bed. Don't forget the hammock stand and outdoor table to while away many an afternoon in style!
No Zen Garden or Meditation Garden would be complete without this powerful visual element at ground level. Soften the north side of placed boulders with several Japanese Painted Ferns, then add fine gravel mulch and rake regularly in a mindful meditation.
Use these perennial Ferns throughout your shaded areas, or give them as a very thoughtful gift plant to someone you love.
- Perennial of the Year
- Striking Foliage Makes This A Favorite!
- Gray-Green Leaves With Silver Overcast, Purple Stems, Veins & Accents
- Include Beautiful Leaves in Cut Arrangements
- High Impact, Spreading Groundcover, Landscape Fill, Containers & Specimens
#ProPlantTips for Care:
You might think it would be finicky, but luckily, this Fern is also very durable and low maintenance! This is not the right choice for full-sun locations! Give Japanese Painted Fern full shade, or a bit of morning sun to bring out the colors even more. It loves moist soil and needs well-drained soil. The roots don't like to stay sopping wet.
A consistent schedule of moderate water delivers the best results. However, once the roots are well-established in the landscape, these fantastic workhorses will tolerate short periods of dryness. A 3-4 inch deep layer of wood chip mulch over the root systems to keep them cool and moist. Never allow mulch to rest directly against the burgundy stems...pull it back for proper air circulation.
This plant will grow in a slowly spreading fashion unless planted in rich soil to boost its performance. Add a few handfuls of compost during planting to enrich your soil...and top-dress with compost every other year or so.
This 2004 perennial plant of the year certainly deserves Nature Hills Root Booster during planting. The symbiotic ingredients work non-stop over the life of the plant to support each of the tiny feeder roots in their quest for nutrients and moisture.
Prune in early spring to trim off any winter damage and divide every 3-5 years to keep the clumps growing vigorously. We recommend you plant several, so you can always have a few fronds to include in cunning cut flower arrangements.
- Does Well in Full Shade to Partial Shade
- Extremely Cold Hardy
- Any Rich Organic Well-Drained Soil
- Prefers Consistent Moisture
- Deer & Rabbits Don't Prefer the Taste
- Low Maintenance
Place your order for our expertly grown Japanese Painted Fern today! This beloved perennial is a popular favorite for many...please order enough plants to complete your entire project without delay. Japanese Painted Ferns have earned their place in people's hearts the world over...order yours today at NatureHills.com!
