Add lush texture and year-round woodland beauty to your shade garden with Dryopteris nipponensis, commonly known as the Wide Leaf Autumn Fern or True Autumn Fern. This elegant evergreen fern features broad, arching fronds and striking copper-red new growth that matures to a rich glossy green.

Native to Japan and Korea, this hardy fern forms a graceful vase-shaped clump thriving in moist, shaded landscapes. Its bold foliage and architectural habit make it ideal for woodland gardens, shaded borders, rain gardens, and container plantings.

Why Gardeners Choose Wide Leaf Autumn Fern

• Broad, elegant evergreen fern fronds
• Copper-red new growth in spring
• Thrives in shade and woodland gardens
• Suitable for moist landscapes and rain gardens
• Deer resistant and low maintenance
• Excellent for shaded containers and borders
• Hardy perennial with year-round garden interest

Plant Details

• Botanical Name: Dryopteris nipponensis
• Common Names: Wide Leaf Autumn Fern, True Autumn Fern
• Plant Type: Evergreen Hardy Fern
• Foliage Color: Copper-red new growth maturing to glossy green
• Mature Height: Approximately 24 inches
• Mature Spread: Up to 36 inches
• Growth Habit: Vase-shaped, clumping
• Light Requirements: Partial Shade to Full Shade
• Water Needs: Moderate to High
• Soil Needs: Rich, moist, well-drained soil
• Hardiness Zones: 5–8
• Characteristics: Deer resistant, woodland perennial, evergreen foliage, low maintenance

Garden Uses

Woodland gardens, shade borders, rain gardens, underplanting beneath trees, shaded courtyard gardens, fern collections, moist woodland landscapes, container gardens.

Companion Plants

Pairs well with Hosta, Heuchera (Coral Bells), Carex (Sedge), Epimedium, Astilbe, Japanese Forest Grass, Soft Shield Fern (Polystichum setiferum).

Care Tips

• Plant in rich, humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil
• Keep soil evenly moist, especially during warm weather
• Protect from strong afternoon sun
• Mulch yearly to improve moisture retention
• Remove old fronds in early spring before new growth appears
• Best performance in cool, shaded garden locations