Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium nipponicum ‘Metallicum’)

Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium nipponicum ‘Metallicum’)

Elegant moisture loving fern with striking silver foliage and burgundy veins, perfect for shaded pond edges, bog gardens and wildlife friendly planting schemes.

Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium nipponicum ‘Metallicum’) is one of the most striking ornamental ferns available for shaded gardens and pondside planting. Known for its unique silvery grey fronds highlighted with rich burgundy veins, this beautiful fern adds colour, texture and elegance to damp areas of the garden where many other plants struggle to thrive.

Unlike traditional green ferns, the foliage of Japanese Painted Fern has a distinctive metallic sheen that creates a stunning contrast against darker woodland plants and pondside planting. The finely divided fronds form graceful arching clumps that gradually spread to create soft, natural foliage mounds. This makes it an excellent plant for softening the edges of ponds, streams and shaded garden borders.

Although it does not produce flowers, the foliage itself is highly ornamental throughout the growing season. New fronds emerge fresh in spring with a soft silver tone, deepening in colour as the season progresses. When planted in groups, the plants create a beautiful layered effect that enhances the natural feel of wildlife gardens and damp shaded landscapes.

Japanese Painted Fern thrives in moist, humus rich soil and performs particularly well in shaded or partially shaded locations. This makes it ideal for planting around ponds, bog gardens or damp woodland borders where the soil remains consistently moist but not waterlogged. While it prefers shade, a small amount of morning sunlight can help intensify the beautiful silver colouring of the fronds.

This clump forming fern typically grows between 20 cm and 40 cm tall and spreads to around 30 cm to 45 cm wide, making it perfect for smaller pondside spaces or mixed planting schemes. The graceful foliage provides valuable shelter for wildlife including frogs, toads and beneficial insects that inhabit damp garden habitats.

Japanese Painted Fern is hardy in most parts of the UK and can tolerate temperatures down to around minus 15°C. As a deciduous fern, the foliage dies back in late autumn before fresh growth emerges again in spring. With its distinctive colour, delicate foliage and ability to thrive in damp shaded areas, Athyrium nipponicum ‘Metallicum’ is an excellent addition to wildlife gardens and natural pondside planting schemes.

🇬🇧 UK-grown aquatic plant: Grown at a dedicated aquatic plant nursery in the South of England and carefully prepared for delivery across the UK.

Key Benefits

• Striking silver foliage with contrasting burgundy veins
• Adds colour and texture to shaded pondside planting
• Ideal for damp gardens, bog gardens and woodland areas
• Provides cover for frogs, toads and beneficial insects
• Compact clump forming habit perfect for smaller spaces
• Low maintenance and easy to grow once established
• Excellent companion plant for marginal and moisture loving plants
• Hardy and reliable in most UK gardens

Reasons to Buy

• Unique ornamental fern with metallic silver foliage
• Perfect for shaded pond edges and damp garden borders
• Helps create a natural wildlife friendly planting scheme
• Adds colour contrast among traditional green foliage plants
• Reliable and hardy plant suited to UK climates

Care Instructions

• Plant in moist, humus rich, well drained soil
• Best grown in partial shade or full shade
• Keep soil consistently damp, especially during dry periods
• Mulch annually with compost or leaf mould to retain moisture
• Remove dead fronds in late autumn or early winter
• Avoid waterlogged soil conditions where roots remain submerged

Flowering Period

None – ornamental foliage plant

Size and Growing Conditions

Dispatching Your Pond Plants

Your Japanese Painted Fern will be carefully packed to protect the foliage and roots during transit.

Orders received by 11am Monday to Wednesday are normally dispatched on the following working day using a next working day courier service. During busy periods, dispatch may occasionally take an extra day.

To avoid plants being held in depots over a weekend, we do not usually dispatch on Fridays. Highlands and Islands orders using a two day service are not normally dispatched on Thursdays.

Available pack size:

• Pack of 3 × 9cm Pots

These ferns are supplied in 9cm nursery pots. Plant them into moist, humus-rich soil beside the pond and do not submerge the pots.

Explore more pondside ferns or browse our complete pond plants range. Need baskets, aquatic soil or planting essentials? Browse our pond plant baskets and aquatic planting supplies.