Leather Wood Fern

Light Needs

Full Shade to Partial Shade

(0 - 4 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

1-2 Feet

Mature Spread

2 Feet

Growing Zones

3 to 8

The Leather Wood Fern is a darling plant that features delicate leaflets that are evenly spaced along the stems. This shade-loving plant, also known as Dryopteris marginalis, has a tight, flowing form with arching fronds. The fronds are light green in the spring and gradually settle into a grayish-green color with a lustrous, leathery texture. 

As a native plant, the Leather Wood Fern is easy to maintain when planted in a shady spot. Use this clump-forming fern to add texture and color to a bed, cover an embankment, or showcase it in a container. The flowing fronds will also look lovely in a hanging basket. The Leather Wood Fern is a perennial in USDA zones 3 through 8.

Leather Wood Fern Care

As is typical for most ferns, the Leather Wood Fern requires full shade. Plant in an area that receives no more than 4 hours of sunlight. Soil should have high organic content and be moist but well-drained. Ferns like dampness, but they do not like standing water. Water this plant before the soil dries out.

Pruning is not necessary, but dead or damaged growth can be removed at any time. Apply a balanced fertilizer each spring.

Leather Wood Fern Spacing

The gently arching fronds of this fern will reach 18 to 24 inches tall and reach 24 to 30 inches across. Space plants 22 to 26 inches apart to create a consistent and full planting.