Gardening Plant Encyclopedia Perennial Wood fern By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on May 29, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email Wood Fern Overview Description Turn that shady spot into a restful, green landscape by planting wood ferns. Although some ferns can be picky, wood ferns are tough, adaptable, medium-size woodland ferns with bold texture. Some species are evergreen and others are deciduous. Other common names include shield fern and buckler fern. Like most ferns, it needs rich, moist, humus-rich soil with plenty of water. Genus Name Dryopteris Common Name Wood Fern Plant Type Perennial Light Part Sun, Shade Height 1 to 3 feet Width 1 to 10 feet Season Features Winter Interest Special Features Good for Containers, Low Maintenance Zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Propagation Division Garden Plans For wood fern More varieties for wood fern Crested buckler fern Dryopteris dilitata 'Cristata' has delicate-looking fronds with a crest at the tip, giving the fern a lush appearance. It grows 2-3 feet tall and wide. Zones 5-8 Male wood fern Dryopteris filix-mas is a North American native that forms a 3-by-3-foot clump of fronds. It is hardy in Zones 3-8 and remains evergreen in warm climates. Plant wood fern with Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit