How Long Does it Take Ferns to Grow?

Ferns are well-adapted plants that grow and reproduce vigorously.

If you're looking for an interesting, easy-to-grow plant for your yard or house, consider growing a fern. Depending on its variety and growth rate, you can grow a fern successfully in containers or directly in the soil. Many ferns are slow-growing and take several years to reach full size. Others spread and reproduce quickly, creating a dense groundcover in little time. As long as they receive a reasonable amount of moisture and humidity, ferns are easy to maintain and can add texture to a yard with little effort.

Growth Habit

Ferns varieties such as the popular Boston fern are well-known garden and houseplants, partly thanks to their fast growth rate. Many of them act as effective groundcovers, readily self-spreading with runners that shoot in various directions from the plant base and form a dense layer. Ferns reproduce through the production of their own spores once the leaves mature into sporophytes, which can take a few years in some species. This self-propagating growth habit may become invasive, in which case growers must control the spread by thinning fern fronds.

Fast-Growing Ferns

Some ferns expand quickly and easily fill a yard with their foliage. If given plenty of moisture and humidity, the Madenhair fern grows quite quickly up to 18 inches, especially in cool temperatures. The foliage, which needs to be moist to survive, produces small, fan-shaped leaves. If the plant dries out, new shoots will quickly appear. Hay-scented fern is another quick-growing type, readily reaching 18 inches in height and growing easily in poor soil and shade. One of the most popular varieties of fast-growing fern is the Boston fern, with fronds reaching as long as 7 feet.

Slower-Growing Ferns

If you'd prefer a fern with more controllable growth, select a slow-growing fern that takes longer to reach sexual maturity, This can sometimes be as long as 11 years, as in the case of the Trifid Holly Fern, which grows up to 2 feet high and is suitable for container planting. In some ferns, such as the Royal fern, the sporophyte leaves are vigorous and live for over 100 years, while the underground rhizome root system remains slow growing.

Conditions for Growth

As a general rule, ferns grow most vigorously with lots of moisture and plenty of sun. Some varieties tolerate dry soil, while others need the shade to survive the heat of summer. Adding peat moss or compost will boost the viability of most ferns. Woodland ferns such as the Cinnamon fern and Northern Madeinhair grow best in soil with lots of humus, such as leaf mold. Too much low light and heat may slow the growth of some varieties.

References

• University of Massachusetts: The Royal Fern
• Washington State University: Sun-tolerant Hostas and Ferns; April 2007
• University of Florida: Nephrolepis exaltata Boston Fern, Sword Fern; Edward F. Gilman
• Clemson University; Hardy Ferns; Rebecca Slater; November 2003
• Bryophyte Influence on Terrestrial and Epiphytic Fern Gametophytes; Mirabai R. McCarthy
• "Fern Ecology"; Klaus Mehltreter, et al.; 2010