Common Name: tapering glade fern
Type: Fern
Family: Athyriaceae
Native Range: China, Japan, Korea, Russian Far East
Zone: 4 to 8
Height: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Bloom Time: Non-flowering
Bloom Description: Non-flowering
Sun: Part shade to full shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Suggested Use: Naturalize
Tolerate: Deer
Culture
Best grown in rich, evenly moist, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Thrives in shady woodland areas. Intolerant of standing water. Spreads by rhizomes to form a tall ground cover in shady areas. Propagate by division.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Deparia pycnosora, commonly called tapering glade fern, is a yellow-green finely-dissected, rhizomatous, deciduous fern that grows to 2-3’ tall and as wide. It is native to damp forest areas in China, Japan, Korea and eastern Russia. Narrow deciduous fronds gracefully arch upward and outward to 30” long. Fronds are tapered at the apex and base (hence the common name). Pinnae (to 5” long) are in 18-30 pairs.
Synonymous with and formerly known by a number of different botanical names including Diplazium pycnocarpon and Athyrium pycnocarpon.
Genus name comes from the Greek word depas meaning saucer in reference to the saucer-like indusium that covers the sori.
Specific epithet comes from the Greek words pykno meaning dense and sorus meaning cluster of sporangia.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
Naturalize in shady areas of the landscape. Tall groundcover. Borders. Woodland gardens.