Silvery Spleenwort, Silvery Glade Fern

Silvery Spleenwort, Silvery Glade Fern Deparia acrostichoides (Athyrium thelypterioides) 2-3½ feet tall by 2-3 feet spread. Dappled sunlight to medium shade; medium moisture level; humus-rich soil; slightly acid to neutral pH. Maintenance: Low Growth/Colonizing Habit: Spreads slowly by short, creeping rhizomes. Foliage: Deciduous Native Region: Statewide Handsome fern with large, compound leaves up to 3 feet tall and 1 foot across. In summer, undersides of fronds have a silvery sheen, hence the common name. Site in locations that provide some protection from wind as leaves are rather fragile. Native to moist woodlands, wooded valleys, bottoms of rocky canyons and slopes of wooded ravines above streams. fern;sun/shade;medium;loam fern;shade;medium;loam

Photo Courtesy of John Hilty http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/ Photo Courtesy of John Hilty http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/