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  • AGM plants

    AGM plants have been through a rigorous trial and assessment programme. They are:

    • Excellent for ordinary use in appropriate conditions
    • Available to buy
    • Of good constitution
    • Essentially stable in form & colour
    • Reasonably resistant to pests & diseases
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Athyrium niponicum var. pictum

painted lady fern

AGM plants

AGM plants have been through a rigorous trial and assessment programme. They are:

  • Excellent for ordinary use in appropriate conditions
  • Available to buy
  • Of good constitution
  • Essentially stable in form & colour
  • Reasonably resistant to pests & diseases
RHS Plant Shop from £17.99 Sold by 61 nurseries

  • Other common names painted lady fern

  • Synonyms Anthurium nipponicum 'Metallicum'
    Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'

    Athyrium goeringianum 'Pictum'
    Athyrium iseanum 'Metallicum'
    Athyrium niponicum var. pictum 'Metallicum'
    Athyrium niponicum f. metallicum

    see more

  • Family Woodsiaceae

  • Genus Athyrium are deciduous ferns with erect or creeping rhizomes bearing usually pinnate to tripinnate fronds, often of thin texture, and they are especially shade-tolerant

  • Details A. niponicum var. pictum is a striking deciduous fern with a shortly-creeping rhizome and lance-shaped, bipinnate fronds to 30cm, grey, with paler midribs to the pinnae, and a red-purple zone along the centre

  • Plant range NE Asia

Characteristics

  • Foliage Deciduous

  • Habit Bushy

  • Hardiness

    Hardiness ratings

    All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

    • H1a - Under glass all year (>15C)
    • H1b - Can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
    • H1c - Can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
    • H2 - Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
    • H3 - Hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
    • H4 - Hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
    • H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
    • H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
    • H7 - Hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

    H5

Colour

Sunlight

  • Full Shade

  • Partial Shade

  • Aspect North-facing or East-facing

  • Exposure Sheltered

Soil

  • Clay

    Clay

  • Loam

    Loam

  • Sand

    Sand

  • MoistureMoist but well-drained

  • SoilClay, Loam, Sand

  • pHAcid, Neutral

Size

  • Ultimate height 0.1-0.5 metres

  • Ultimate spread 0.1-0.5 metres

  • Time to ultimate height 2-5 years

How to grow

Cultivation Easy to grow in moist, fertile neutral to acid soil enriched with leaf mould or garden compost in a shady, sheltered site

Propagation Propagate from spores as soon as ripe or divide in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types Flower borders and beds City & Courtyard Gardens Rock Garden Cottage & Informal Garden

How to care

Pruning Cut down fronds as necessary

Pests Generally trouble free

Diseases Generally trouble free

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Athyrium niponicum var. pictum

painted lady fern

Buy from £17.99 at the RHS Plants Shop

Buy from £17.99 at the RHS Plants Shop

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