Autumn Fern is grown for its blooms, which open in summer. It's hardy across USDA zones 6 through 8 and shrugs off deer.
Autumn Fern — the short answer
Autumn Fern: grown in zones 6–8, part sun.
- USDA zones
- 6–8
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Sun
- Part Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Autumn Fern on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether autumn fern actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score autumn fern against your land's real conditions.
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What Autumn Fern is
Autumn Fern reaches around two feet at maturity. It blooms in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Autumn Fern
Autumn Fern grows in USDA zones 6 through 8. Autumn Fern does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day, on consistently moist ground.
USDA Zones
6-8
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
Data pending
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
poorly (saturated >50% of year)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
2 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant autumn fern in part sun with at least 4 hours of direct sun.
Match the soil
Pull a soil test from your local Extension lab to confirm pH and drainage match autumn fern's needs before planting.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Harvest at its peak
Cut autumn fern blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Autumn Fern thrives
Autumn Fern is hardy across USDA zones 6 through 8. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 6–8 spans average winter lows from -10°F to 20°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 9 outright and splits 39 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 6–8·Where Autumn Fern growsOpen map →
Where Autumn Fern stands, state by state
Autumn Fern is rated for zones 6–8 — a cold floor USDA puts at -10 to 0°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 9 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 39 more, and 3 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 6–8
9 states
- Arkansas · zones 6b-8b
- Connecticut · zones 6a-7b
- Kentucky · zones 6a-7b
3 of 9 shown
The line runs through
39 states
3 of 39 shown
Autumn Fern’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 6–8
3 states
- Minnesota · zones 3a-5a
- North Dakota · zones 3b-4b
- South Dakota · zones 4a-5b
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Autumn Fern
Growing guides for autumn fern
In rotation planning, autumn fern counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in perennial flower
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — autumn fern isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Autumn Fern isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data — pair it with high-value bloomers nearby to feed bees.
Your land is one point inside Autumn Fern's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Autumn Fern will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether autumn fern actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Autumn Fern
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Autumn Fern in my zone?
Autumn Fern grows in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 8 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Autumn Fern?
Time autumn fern to your own season rather than the calendar. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Autumn Fern need?
Autumn Fern does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Autumn Fern need?
Specific pH data for autumn fern is pending. It prefers consistently moist ground. A soil test from your local Extension lab confirms what your site needs.
Does Autumn Fern attract pollinators?
Autumn Fern isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data. Pairing it with high-value bloomers nearby keeps bees and butterflies fed.
Is Autumn Fern safe for pets?
Autumn Fern is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)