Is Royal Fern deer resistant?
Osmunda regalis
Plant typeFernHardinessZones 3–10LightFull shade to part shade
Mature height60–72 in
MaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Native range35 US states
About Royal Fern
Coarse, almost tropical fronds and the largest native fern after ostrich. Wants genuinely wet acid soil and will not tolerate drying out.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 4.5 to 6
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- High
- Spacing
- 35 to 47 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Royal 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
- Japanese Painted FernAthyrium niponicumZones 4–9Rarely damaged
- New York FernThelypteris noveboracensisZones 3–8Rarely damaged
Where Royal 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.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigannative
- Wisconsinnative
- Ohionative
- Indiananative
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesotanative
- Missourinative
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texasnative
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshirenative
- Vermontnative
- Mainenative
- Rhode Islandnative
- Delawarenative
- West Virginianative
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansasnative
- Oklahomanative
- Kansasnative
- Nebraska
- Iowanative
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbianative
- Hawaii
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 35 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Royal Fern belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Royal Fern
- Is Royal Fern deer resistant?
- Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Royal Fern grow in?
- Royal Fern is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 10. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Royal Fern grow in shade?
- Yes. Royal 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 Royal Fern get?
- Mature height is roughly 60–72 in. Growth rate is slow.