Gymnocarpium dryopteris
The oak fern, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, is a native garden-worthy fern with beautiful dainty fronds in shades of vibrant green.

The oak fern, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, often gets forgotten when thinking of native garden-worthy ferns, but it is a beautiful species forming open to closed, slowly spreading mats of small, dainty fronds in shades of vibrant green. Use it as a ground cover on its own or in combination with other ground covers. Its range is circumboreal right around the northern hemisphere and it is super hardy to zone 2.
Common Name: Oak Fern
Family: Dryopteridaceae (The Wood Fern Family)
Zone Hardiness: 2-9
Light: Part Shade, Full Shade
Height: 8-12"
Width: 12-24"
Primary Bloom Colour:
Secondary Bloom Colour:
Foliage Colour: Green
Class: Deciduous
Type: Perennial
Bloom Time:
Soil Moisture: Average
Stem Colour:
Fragrance: No
Berries:
Benefits:
Deer Resistant: Yes
BC Native: Yes
Native Habitat: Moist to wet rocky forests, rocky slopes and ledges, and bog margins usually in montane and subalpine zones.
Award: AGM
Geographical Origin: