Make It Green Garden Center

Welcome to our plant search tool. This database contains many of the thousands of plants that we carry. There are some notable exceptions. Hundreds of new perennials come out every year and Make It Green has been a leader in making them available to you. Eventually the recent introductions will make it to our plant search tool but every year there will be a lag between our in-store plant selection and this search tool. Unfortunately this search tool can't cover everything that we will carry this year. We also carry over 100 varieties of rare and unusual evergreens and over 100 varieties of hard-to-find shrubs many of which are not in the plant search. Click on the Plant List button for a list of nearly all the woody plants (trees, shrubs and evergreens) that we have ordered or already have in stock for this coming year.



fern

Ghost Fern

Athyrium 'Ghost'

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Ghost Fern (Athyrium 'Ghost') at Make It Green Garden Centre

Ghost Fern foliage

Ghost Fern foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Ghost Fern (Athyrium 'Ghost') at Make It Green Garden Centre

Ghost Fern

Ghost Fern

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  30 inches

Spread:  30 inches

Sunlight:  partial shade  full shade 

Hardiness Zone:  4a

Description:

A tall, upright selection, great for adding texture to shaded gardens and borders; presenting arching light green fronds with silver overtones, contrasting against its dark purple stems; an easy to grow variety requiring little to no maintenance

Ornamental Features

Ghost Fern is primarily valued in the garden for its ornamental upright and spreading habit of growth. Its attractive ferny bipinnately compound leaves emerge silver in spring, turning light green in colour with hints of silver throughout the season. The deep purple stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

Landscape Attributes

Ghost Fern is a dense herbaceous fern with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Ghost Fern is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Mass Planting
  • Border Edging
  • General Garden Use
  • Groundcover
  • Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing

Ghost Fern will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight Soil pH Preference
Characteristics
Massing  Edging  Garden  Groundcover  Naturalizing 
Applications
Foliage Color  Texture  Plant Form  Bark 
Ornamental Features