There are more than 20,000 known species of ferns, so this could, in principle, be a very long list. However, here are some of the most popular, common, and beautiful ferns that decorate gardens around the world.
Alphabetical list (common names)
Alpine water fern
- Blechnum penna-marina
- Evergreen
- Shade, partial or full sun
- Height: up to 0.2 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained. Drought tolerant.
Autumn fern
- Dryopteris erythrosora
- Semi-evergreen
- Full or partial shade, and full sun
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: tolerant of most pH and drainage conditions.
Bird’s nest fern
- Asplenium nidus
- Evergreen
- Partial or full shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained.
Boston fern
- Nephrolepis exaltata
- Evergreen
- Partial shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained.
Button fern
- Pellaea rotundifolia
- Evergreen
- Partial shade
- Height: up to 0.3 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well drained.
Carrot fern
- Onychium japonicum
- Deciduous
- Prefers partial shade
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Image Credit: Keisotyo
Christmas fern
- Polystichum acrostichoides
- Evergreen
- Partial shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Cinnamon fern
- Osmunda cinnamomea
- Deciduous
- Prefers partial shade
- Height: up to 1.5 m
- Soil: acid. Moist, poor drainage tolerated.
Common bracken
- Pteridium aquilinum
- Deciduous
- Prefers partial shade or full sun
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Common polypody
- Polypodium vulgare
- Evergreen
- Partial shade or full sun
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: Neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Crocodile fern
- Microsorum musifolium
- Evergreen
- Partial to full shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: Acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained.
Hairy lip fern
- Cheilanthes lanosa
- Evergreen
- Full sun
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Image credit: Krzysztof Ziarnek
Hard fern
- Blechnum spicant
- Evergreen
- Prefers partial or full shade
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, poor-drainage tolerated.
Hart’s tongue fern
- Asplenium scolopendrium
- Evergreen
- Prefers partial or full shade
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: alkaline or neutral. Moist, well drained.
Hay-scented fern
- Dennstaedtia punctilobula
- Deciduous
- Full or partial shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained, and tolerates dry soil.
Heart fern
- Hemionitis arifolia
- Evergreen
- Prefers partial shade or indirect light
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: neutral. Moist, well-drained.
Image credit: Krzysztof Ziarnek
Holly fern
- Cyrtomium falcatum
- Evergreen or semi-evergreen
- Full or partial shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Interrupted fern
- Osmunda claytoniana
- Deciduous
- Prefers partial shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: acid. Moist, poor drainage tolerated.
Japanese painted fern
- Athyrium niponicum
- Deciduous
- Prefers partial shade
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Kangaroo paw fern
- Microsorum diversifolium
- Evergreen
- Prefers partial shade
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained.
King fern
- Dryopteris affinis
- Semi-evergreen
- Shade, partial or full sun
- Height: up to 1.5 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Lady fern
- Athyrium filix-femina
- Deciduous
- Prefers partial or full shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, poor drainage tolerated.
Lemon button fern
- Nephrolepis cordifolia (duffii)
- Evergreen
- Partial shade
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained.
Macho fern
- Nephrolepis biserrata
- Evergreen
- Partial or full shade
- Height: up to 2 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained
Maidenhair fern
- Adiantum raddianum
- Evergreen
- Partial shade
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Maidenhair spleenwort
- Asplenium trichomanes
- Evergreen
- Full or partial shade
- Height: up to 0.3 m
- Soil: neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Male fern
- Dryopteris filix-mas
- Deciduous
- Prefers partial or full shade
- Height: up to 1.5 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, poor drainage tolerated.
Marsh fern
- Thelypteris palustris
- Deciduous
- Partial or full shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, tolerates poor drainage.
Northern maidenhair fern
- Adiantum pedatum
- Deciduous
- Partial or full shade
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Oak fern
- Gymnocarpium dryopteris
- Deciduous
- Prefers full shade
- Height: up to 0.3 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained.
Oriental chain fern
- Woodwardia orientalis
- Evergreen
- Prefers partial shade
- Height: up to 1.5 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, tolerates poor drainage.
Ostrich fern
- Matteuccia struthiopteris
- Deciduous
- Full or partial shade
- Height: up to 1.5 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained.
Rabbit’s foot fern
- Davallia solida (var. fejeensis)
- Evergreen
- Partial shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained.
Royal fern
- Osmunda regalis
- Deciduous
- Full or partial shade, and full sun
- Height: up to 2.5 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, poor drainage tolerated.
Sensitive fern
- Onoclea sensibilis
- Deciduous
- Full or partial shade
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, poor drainage tolerated.
Silver brake fern
- Pteris argyraea
- Evergreen
- Prefers partial shade
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained.
Silver lace fern
- Pteris evergemiensis
- Evergreen
- Partial or full shade
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Soft Shield fern
- Polystichum setiferum
- Evergreen
- Full or partial shade
- Height: 0.5 – 1 m
- Soil: Acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Soft tree fern
- Dicksonia antarctica
- Evergreen or semi-evergreen
- Full or partial shade
- Height: up to 4 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained.
Southern wood fern
- Dryopteris ludoviciana
- Semi-evergreen
- Prefers full or partial shade
- Height: up to 1.5 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, tolerates poor drainage.
Staghorn fern
- Platycerium bifurcatum
- Evergreen
- Prefers partial shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Epiphytic (but can be grown on loam). Keep moist, well-drained.
Sunset fern
- Dryopteris lepidopoda
- Semi-evergreen
- Full or partial shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained.
Tassel fern
- Polystichum polyblepharum
- Evergreen
- Partial or full shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Wallich’s wood fern
- Drypopteris wallichiana
- Semi-evergreen
- Partial or full shade
- Height: up to 1 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Western Sword fern
- Polystichum munitum
- Evergreen
- Partial or full shade
- Height: up to 1.5 m
- Soil: acid, neutral or alkaline. Moist, well-drained.
Woolly lip fern
- Cheilanthes tomentosa
- Evergreen
- Full sun
- Height: up to 0.5 m
- Soil: acid or neutral. Moist, well-drained.