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Onoclea sensibilis
Sensitive fern, Bead Fern, Sympathy Fern

Photo by Cure Nursery

Sensitive Fern is a very handsome, very vigorous, running deciduous perennial fern. It is “sensitive” only to the first frost in the late fall, and perhaps to drought — but very hardy otherwise! It is widely reported to be two- to three-foot tall and taller in wet soil, but we have never seen it taller than about 18 inches. Sensitive Fern has two types of fronds: the handsome, bright green, coarsely divided, leathery sterile fronds on long stalks, and shorter, non-green fertile (spore-bearing) fronds which brown up in the late summer and persists in the winter. The leathery texture of the sterile fronds contrasts nicely with the feathery effect of more finely divided fronds of other ferns. It tolerates dense shade and clay soils, and is very rarely touched by deer or other mammalian herbivores. It thrives in shady, evenly moist upland gardens where it will spread by both spores and rhizomes. Sensitive Fern can tolerate more sun if sufficient moisture is provided, but it will become yellowish and can become overly aggressive under these conditions. It has a very wide distribution — not only throughout central and eastern North America, but in East Asia as well, and has naturalized in western Europe. Properly sited, Sensitive Fern is an extremely attractive, lush and vigorous groundcover and has earned the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

Last Updated: June 27, 2019

Key Info

Scientific Name: Onoclea sensibilis L.
Common Names: Sensitive fern, Bead Fern, Sympathy Fern
Family Name: Onocleaceae
Plant Type: Fern
Uses: Woodland Garden, Naturalizing, Groundcover, Steep bank, Pondside
Light Requirement: Full shade-bright, Partial/shady
Moisture Requirement: Wet, Medium, Moist well drained
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Bloom Times: n/a
Flower Color: n/a
Special Characteristics: Deer resistant, Attracts birds, Rhizomatous, Tolerates shade, Good wildlife cover/habitat, Tolerates Black Walnut, Ornamental foliage, Reported to be deer resistant.

Additional Info

Habit: Single, stalked, sterile fronds emerge from a creeping rhizome creating ground-covering colonies. These are followed by fertile, upright, woody fronds which persist throughout the winter. The root system consists of a stout smooth, branching rhizome with spreading fibrous roots.
Height: 1'-2'
Spread: Indeterminate
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Soil Conditions: Average to wet, organic; acidic to neutral pH; sandy, loamy, clay
Leaves: The sterile fronds, are triangular, 1-3' long including the petioles, and deeply lobed with opposite, well spaced lobes leaving the central stalk appearing "winged". They are gracefully shaped with smooth, wavy margins, the upper lobes arching upwards towards the tip and the lower lobes reaching downward. The fertile fronds -- See "Reproductive Structures".
Flowers (or reproductive structures): The fertile fronds are shorter than the sterile fronds, contracted to form hardened supports for the sporangia and their spores. They are erect, non-green, woody, very narrow pinnae to 12" tall, supporting bead-like sori ("Bead Fern"). They typically brown up in late summer and persist throughout the remaining season into winter, eventually releasing the spores to the wind.
Natural Distribution: Wet habitats, woodlands, thickets, meadows, bogs, stream and river banks, roadside ditches. Is usually found in habitats of moderate to high quality (Illinoiswildflower.info)
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
USDA Wetland Indicator Status in NC: FACW
Wildlife Connections: Provides cover for small animals.
Pharmacology: Avoided by deer, toxic to livestock and horses.
Downside: No serious insect or disease problems.
Propagation: By division or by spores.
USDA/NRCS Plant Distribution Map: View Map at USDA.gov
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Cure Nursery is a small nursery propagating and selling native plants for the Southeastern U.S. We are located near the town of Pittsboro, Chatham County, in central NC.

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