Japanese Wood Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora)

Japanese Wood Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora)

Elegant moisture loving fern with copper red young fronds that mature to deep green, perfect for shaded pond edges, bog gardens and wildlife friendly planting.

Japanese Wood Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) is a beautiful ornamental fern known for its striking seasonal foliage colour and graceful arching fronds. This elegant fern is particularly valued for the dramatic contrast between its copper red young fronds and the deep green foliage they mature into later in the season. The colour change creates year round interest and makes this fern a standout feature in shaded gardens, damp borders and pondside planting schemes.

When new growth appears in spring, the fronds emerge with a warm copper red or bronze tone that glows beautifully in shaded areas. As the season progresses the foliage gradually transitions to rich green, giving the plant a layered appearance with multiple tones throughout the year. This subtle colour variation adds depth and texture to natural planting schemes and works particularly well alongside hostas, marginal plants and other moisture loving species.

Japanese Wood Fern forms attractive clumps of arching fronds that gently spread outward, creating soft mounds of foliage. The plant typically grows between 30 cm and 60 cm tall and can spread to around 60 cm to 90 cm wide, making it ideal for filling spaces around pond edges and within bog gardens. Its graceful structure helps soften the transition between water features and surrounding garden planting.

This fern thrives in moist, humus rich soil and performs best in partial shade or full shade. It is particularly well suited to pondside environments where soil naturally remains damp but well drained. When planted near ponds or wildlife water features, the dense foliage also provides valuable shelter for amphibians such as frogs and toads, as well as beneficial insects that inhabit damp garden habitats.

Dryopteris erythrosora is hardy across most parts of the UK and can tolerate temperatures down to around minus 15°C. In mild winters it may remain semi evergreen, retaining some foliage throughout the colder months. With its distinctive seasonal colour, elegant growth habit and wildlife benefits, Japanese Wood Fern is an excellent addition to pondside planting and woodland style gardens.

🇬🇧 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

• Unique copper red young fronds that mature to deep green
• Adds colour and contrast to shaded pondside planting
• Perfect for damp soil around ponds and bog gardens
• Provides shelter for frogs, toads and beneficial insects
• Graceful arching foliage adds structure and texture
• Hardy and reliable in most UK garden conditions
• Ideal companion plant for marginal and moisture loving plants
• Low maintenance once established

Reasons to Buy

• Stunning foliage colour that changes through the season
• Excellent plant for shaded pond edges and bog gardens
• Enhances wildlife habitats around ponds
• Softens pond edges with natural looking foliage
• Easy to grow and suitable for damp garden conditions

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
• Add leaf mould or compost to improve soil structure
• Remove damaged or old fronds in early spring
• Avoid waterlogged soil where roots remain submerged

Flowering Period

None – ornamental foliage plant

Size and Growing Conditions

Dispatching Your Pond Plants

Your Japanese Wood 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.