Is Wood Fern deer resistant?
Dryopteris marginalis
Plant typeFernHardinessZones 4–9LightFull shade to part shadeMature height18–36 in
MaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Native range33 US states
About Wood Fern
Leathery blue-green fronds that stay through winter, and unusually for a fern it copes with dry rocky shade. Forms a slow tidy clump rather than running.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 4.5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 18 to 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Wood 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 Wood 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
- Florida
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiana
- 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 33 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Wood Fern belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Wood Fern
- Is Wood Fern deer resistant?
- Wood Fern (Dryopteris marginalis) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Wood Fern grow in?
- Wood 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 Wood Fern grow in shade?
- Yes. Wood 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 Wood Fern get?
- Mature height is roughly 18–36 in. Growth rate is slow.