Athyrium nip. var. pictum

Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum var. pictum) is a deciduous fern valued for its elegant, arching fronds washed in silvery-grey with green highlights and red to purple midribs. Ideal for shaded borders and woodland-style planting, it thrives in moist, humus-rich, acid to neutral soils in partial to full shade, forming neat clumps around 45–50cm tall and wide over time. Reliable and low-maintenance, it holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit for dependable performance in Irish gardens.

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Partial shade to full shade

Rate of Growth: Average

Soil: Moist but well-drained, humus-rich, acid to neutral soils

Hardiness: Fully hardy (RHS H6)

Plant at a Glance