Dryopteris goldiana: Goldie's Woodfern

Dryopteris goldiana, Goldie's Woodfern, is the largest native Dryopteris in North America. It forms a magnificent, vase-shaped clump of erect, bipinnate fronds up to 4-5 feet tall. The fronds are a rich, deep green, with the pinnae broadly triangular and the lowest pair often conspicuously forward-pointing. The stipes are scaly. It has a grand, architectural presence in the woodland garden.

Plant Profile

Goldie's Fern requires consistently moist, humus-rich, acidic soil in partial to full shade. It is a premier native fern for large woodland gardens, stream banks, and shaded ravines. It is slow to establish but very long-lived and impressive at maturity. The forward-pointing basal pinnae are a key ID feature. A majestic, structural fern for the shade garden.