Is Japanese Painted Fern deer resistant?
Athyrium niponicum
Plant typeFernHardinessZones 4–9LightFull shade to part shadeMature height18–24 in
MaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
About Japanese Painted Fern
Silver and burgundy fronds that light up deep shade, and the most decorative fern on this list. Colour is strongest with a couple of hours of morning sun.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 18 to 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Japanese Painted Fern
Other ferns with the same deer rating.
- Christmas FernPolystichum acrostichoidesZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Cinnamon FernOsmunda cinnamomeaZones 4–9Rarely damaged
- Hayscented FernDennstaedtia punctilobulaZones 3–8Rarely damaged
- Holly FernCyrtomium falcatumZones 7–10Rarely damaged
- New York FernThelypteris noveboracensisZones 3–8Rarely damaged
- Ostrich FernMatteuccia struthiopterisZones 3–8Rarely damaged
Where Japanese Painted Fern grows
Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
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Every list Japanese Painted Fern belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Japanese Painted Fern
- Is Japanese Painted Fern deer resistant?
- Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Japanese Painted Fern grow in?
- Japanese Painted Fern is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Japanese Painted Fern grow in shade?
- Yes. Japanese Painted Fern tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Japanese Painted Fern get?
- Mature height is roughly 18–24 in. Growth rate is moderate.