Top 15 Common Names of Fern

If you are a ferns lover then you might not want to miss the top 15 common names of ferns. These top 15 ferns which will be mentioned in this article, are the most familiar and frequent to plant by many cultivators and gardeners.

So let’s get started to know these fern’s characteristics, features, and other facts with me.

Top 15 Common Names of Ferns

Since fern are very common plants to have as both indoor and outdoor plants. Here I’ll give you a top 15 list of common names of ferns.

So that you can easily have an abundance of fern names and information in your bucket list. From this list, you can choose which plant you want to plant in your house according to your convenience.

1. Asparagus Fern

Botanical name: Asparagus setaceus
Plants: evergreen perennial

Native range: Southern Africa
Native habitats: subtropical areas like rainfall
Shade requirements: partial, fully shaded, bright place

Height: around 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide
Soil: slightly acidic (6.5 – 6.8), well-drained system

Asparagus ferns are the most commonly named fern varieties in the plant world. These ferns have the bright green textured foliage with different varieties.

Also, they produce small, tiny flowers which generally bloom through berries. These berries are as not edible as they are toxic to humans and animals, especially dogs and cats.

These ferns are quite invasive because of their spreading characteristics. That’s why they tend to use as many garden fillers which have a positive economic growth in the world.

2. Autumn Fern

Botanic name: Dryopteris erythrosora

Common names: Japanese shield fern, autumn fern, wood fern, copper shield fern
Plant: herbaceous perennial
Native range: east Asia

Height: around 18 to 24 inches
Shade: partial to full shade
Soil: clay, chalk, sand, well-drained, moist

Hardiness zone: 5,6,7,8,9

Autumn fern is another commonly known ferns because of their seasonal and colorful foliage transformation.

Because of its seasonal changes, these ferns will appear in different colors in different seasons. These fern fronds are funnel-shaped and the top one has a leathery shine on it.

Ultimately, in the spring season, this fern’s fronds have bright coppery red or orangish red color. Gradually the seasons change, and their fronds transform from bright glossy green color to dark green.

Thus, these unique color transformations make them one of the popular and common varieties of fern species.

3. Austral Gem Fern

Botanical name: Asplenium dimorphism

Common names: Austral Gem Fern, mother ferns
Plants: evergreen plants
Native Region: Australia

Shade requirements: partial or full shade
Height: around 18 inches
Soil pH: acidic and neutral

Hardiness: 9, 10, 11

The Austral Gem ferns are native Australian ferns that are famous for their greenery, foliage, and texture.

They are also known as motherferns in many regional countries. Further, it has the ability to tolerate periods of drought as the thick green foliage holds moisture for a longer period.

Hereby, it’s one of the effortless plants to grow If you don’t have plenty of time to take care of your plant.

4. Boston Fern

Botanical name: Nephrolepis exaltata
Plants: Evergreen

Native range: America
Native habitats: moist shady locations like humid forests, swamps, and floodplains
Shade requirements: partial shade or full shade

Height: 20 to 98 inches
Soil: acidic or neutral (6.0 to 6.5); moist well drained

Boston Ferns are also very renowned indoor ferns to grow. These ferns are also known as sword ferns blue bell Ferns, tuber ladder Ferns, or fishbone Ferns in many countries.

Their medium height is around 40 to 60 cm, however, they can grow up to 1.5 m in extreme cases. They are fond of moist shady places for their natural habitats.

Their soil can also tolerate drought however you need to mist these plants because they enjoy an abundance of humidity around themselves.

5. Bird’s Nest Ferns

Botanical name: Asplenium nidus

Plants: evergreen
Native range: Eastern Australia, Southeastern Asia, India, eastern Africa etc.
Shade requirements: partial to full shade

Height: around 1 m
Soil: alkaline/neutral; moist, well-drained

Bird’s nest ferns are also evergreen ferns which are commonly familiar in the fern category. Their fronds are almost similar to banana leaves.

These plants are very common in southeastern Asia, eastern Australia, Hawaii, India, and eastern Africa. Since they are evergreen ferns, they will have their fronds almost every year.

Therefore, it is one of the primary choices for many plant lovers to decorate their houses with this fern.

6. Christmas Fern

Botanical name: Polystichum acrostichoides

Plants: Evergreen
Native range: North America
Shade requirements: Full or partial shade

Height: mostly 2 feet
Soil: neutral or alkaline and moist, well-drained
Hardiness zone: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Christmas ferns are evergreen plants that have beautiful leathery glossy, green fronds over the year. Generally, these ferns grow best under shady habitats like woodlands, rocky slopes, and stream banks.

They can give the best shelter to wild birds in your garden by their bushy foliage appearance. Hence, you can get some amazing wild birds visiting your mini home garden.

Prominently, these Christmas ferns are very good barriers to soil erosion mostly in flooding areas. Because of their plenty of economic benefits, these ferns are also very common ferns to grow for many cultivators.

7. Cinnamon Fern

Botanic name: Osmundastrum Cinnamomum
Natural range: America, Asia
Natural habitat: bogs, moist woodlands, swamps

Plant: Perennial
Soil: acidic soil, clay, sand, well-drained, moist
Light: full to partial shade

Height: around 1 to 3 ft
USDA Zone: 3-9

Cinnamon ferns are known for their bright green, soft, foliage texture. Because of such characteristics, these ferns are also one of the common ferns for cultivators.

Mostly, these ferns are native to America and eastern Asia along their natural habitats are woodlands, bogs, and swamps. Its species existed on Earth for more than 70 million years.

This automatically makes these ferns one of the oldest ferns existing on the earth. These Cinnamon ferns have also been used by First Nation tribes as a food source.

And so, these ferns also contribute to medical purposes like cold remedies, gynecological issues, and snake bites as well.

8. Deer Fern

Botanical name: Struthiopteris spicant or Blechnum spicant
Common name: hard fern, deer fern
Plants: Evergreen plant

Native range: Pacific Northwest
Native habitats: Woodlands, grasslands, mountains, hillsides etc.
Shade requirements: full or partial

Height: around 45 to 60 cm
Soil: acidic, neutral, moist well-drained
Hardiness: 5,6,7,8

Deer ferns or hard ferns are the most commonly known ferns in the fern genre. These are evergreen ferns that are visible to Pacific Northwest states including Europe, western Asia, Northern Africa, and western North America.

These deer ferns have unique two types of leaves: sterile leaves and fertile leaves. Sterile leaves are evergreen ferns and are more likely to form flat Wavy margins by distributing 5-8 mm wide.

On the contrary, fertile fronds are deciduous and much narrower than the sterile ones.

9. Hart’s Tongue Fern

Botanical name: Asplenium scolopendrium
Plants: Evergreen
Native range: Northern hemisphere

Native habitats: moist soil, damp crevices
Shade requirements: partial to full shade
Height: around 0.5 m

Soil: alkaline or neutral; moist well- drained

Hart’s tongue ferns are also another commonly known evergreen ferns that are widely distributed in the northern hemisphere. These ferns have the most unusual simple, strap-shaped undivided fronds. Their fronds resemble the tongue of a Hart (male red deer).

Additionally, these Hart’s tongue ferns also get the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. However, these American Native plants have a reputation for difficult cultivation due to ideal environment requirements.

Still, these ferns have also been used as medicine plants to cure many diseases.

10. Giant Chain Fern

Botanic name: Woodwardia fimbriata
Plant type: perennial

Native range: North America
Light: partial sun, shaded place
Soil: moist, well-drained; acidic ( 5 to 7)

Hardy Zone: 8,9,10

Giant Chain ferns are one of the largest ferns in the Northern American region. In Washington state, these ferns are identified as Chain ferns which are a rare species because it’s very sensitive.

Over a period of time, this fern tends to become more vulnerable in the state because of its sensitive characteristics. In normal garden land, these ferns can grow up to 5 ft tall with soft green foliage.

11. Japanese Painted Fern

Botanic name: Athyrium niponicum
Native range: Eastern Asia
Plant type: deciduous perennial

Size: around 1-3 ft tall, 1-2 ft wide
light: bright and indirect sunlight or partial sunlight
Soil: neutral acidic, alkaline, moist well drained

USDA zone: 4,5,6,7,8,9

Japanese-painted ferns are known for their silver foliage fronds which give unique coloration in the garden. Similar to their name, these ferns hold unique coloration that revolves around purple, silver, and burgundy. These ferns are mostly local to eastern Asia.

Usually, the fronds of these ferns have variable colored foliage like white, frosty white, or burgundy. Because of such unique coloration and characteristics, it’s also become one of the common ferns to grow outdoors and pots.

12. Leatherleaf Ferns

Botanical name: Rumohra adiantiformis
Plants: evergreen
Native range: Southern hemispheres

Shade requirements: partial to full shade
Height: around 1 to 3 ft
Soil: acidic, neutral pH, well-draining

Hardiness zone: 8,9,10,11

Leatherleaf ferns are Southern Hemisphere plants that are widely native to those southern areas. These ferns grasp such dark green glossy fronds which have got bushy tufted appearance during their mature period. These plants are famous plants for indoor and outdoor decoration because of their glossy leathery shine which portrays the garden’s mesmerizing view. Similarly, these Leatherleaf ferns are best for your ground cover, woodland gardens, or any shade gardens. Because of these unique characteristics, these ferns have also become the most common ferns for cultivators.

13. Maidenhair Ferns

Botanical name: Adiantum raddianum

Plants: evergreen
Native range: South America
Native habitats: forest, flocks, rivers banks, coastal cliffs, trains and streams

Shade requirements: partial shade
Height: up to 0.5 m
Soil: neutral, alkaline, moist, well-drained

Maidenhair ferns are well-recognized as indoor growing plants for many gardeners. Their tiny oval or round-shaped fronds are the best to keep as indoor plants. Similarly, their seasonal colorful growth will also enhance room environments which will give refreshments. Thus, these ferns remain one of the popular varieties of ferns that are frequently grown.

14. Staghorn ferns

Botanic name: Platycerium bifurcatum
Plant: Perennial evergreen

Native range: Java, New Guinea, Eastern Australia, South Wales, Queensland
Height: around 35 inches
Shade: Partial

Soil: acidic, neutral
Hardiness zone: 9,10,11,12

Staghorn Ferns basically look like deer or elk antlers with heart-shaped arching fronds. Usually, these ferns are native to Asia and Australia. Including this country, they are also known in Java, New Guinea, South Wales, Queensland, and Lord Howe Island. More than 17 variations of these species currently exist in Asia and Australia. Therefore, these ferns are very frequently grown and planted for home cultivation. These ferns also can be used for many home decoration purposes both indoors and outdoors.

15. Soft Shield Fern

Botanical name: Polystichum setiferum
Plants: Evergreen or Semi-evergreen plant
Native range: Southern and western Europe

Shade: full or partial
Height: around 2 to 3 m
Soil: sand, loam, acidic, neutral, moist and well-drained

Hardiness: 4,5,6,7,8

Soft Shield ferns are commonly grown ferns that are widely distributed in Southern and Western countries. These ferns hold beautiful bright green textured, bipinnate fronds that are normally facing downwards. More than 200 species exist on the earth. Moreover, they are also decorative plants which is why these ferns are being cultivated by the gardeners. Thus, they are also contributing to the economic growth of the world.

Wrap up

To conclude, ferns are very popular indoor and outdoor decorative plants for every plant enthusiast. Because of their growing tendency, they are very easy and well-adaptable to the environment. The above-mentioned ferns are one of the most topped and common name ferns which are significantly familiar to every gardener. Thus, if you want to grow these ferns at home, you can take an idea about their characteristics, features, and glowing tendencies along with making them thrive.

Top 15 Common Names of Fern