Autumn Ferns for Shaded Fall Porches

For a shady porch in fall, plant autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora). It is hardy in Zones 5 to 9, its new fronds open coppery red before turning glossy green, and it stays evergreen or nearly so through winter in most of that range. Pot it from September through October in a container at least 14 inches wide, keep the mix evenly damp, and move it into the ground or a sheltered corner before deep cold in Zones 5 and 6.

Unlike Boston ferns, which sulk and drop leaves once nights fall into the 40s °F, autumn fern actually looks its best as the weather cools. That makes it one of the few ferns you can buy for fall containers instead of summer ones.

Why autumn fern suits a fall porch

• Fall color in shade: copper and bronze new growth echoes mums and pumpkins without needing sun.
• Evergreen texture: fronds hold through frost, so the pot does not go bare after the first cold snap.
• Low care: no deadheading or pinching; remove a tired frond now and then.
• Long life: it is a perennial, so the fern can go into a shade bed later instead of the compost.
• Deer usually pass it by, though no plant is deer-proof and pressure varies.

Other ferns that hold up in cool weather

• Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides): a native evergreen, Zones 3 to 9. The toughest choice for cold-zone porches.
• Japanese painted fern: silver and burgundy fronds, Zones 4 to 8. It dies back after hard frost, so pair it with an evergreen.
• Holly fern (Cyrtomium): leathery, glossy fronds. Evergreen in Zones 6 to 10 and an easy porch plant in the South.
• Tassel fern (Polystichum polyblepharum): dark, shiny fronds, Zones 5 to 8.
• Boston fern: a summer porch plant. Bring it indoors or let it go once nights reach the 40s °F.

See how to grow garden ferns for planting them into beds afterward.

How to pot an autumn fern

1. Pick a pot with a drainage hole, 14 to 18 inches across for a single fern, or 20 inches and up for a fern with partners.
2. Use a moisture-holding mix. Outdoor potting mix with a few handfuls of compost suits ferns well.
3. Set the crown at soil level. Burying the crown invites rot; leaving it high dries it out.
4. Water until it runs out the bottom, then again whenever the top inch feels dry. Ferns in pots dry out faster than ferns in beds, even in shade.
5. Mulch the surface with shredded leaves or fine bark to slow drying on windy porches.
6. Feed lightly in spring, not fall. A fern pushing soft growth into a freeze gets damaged.

Porch partners for shade

• Heuchera and heucherella: caramel, purple, and lime leaves that hold into winter.
• Hellebores: evergreen leaves now and flowers in late winter.
• Pansies and violas: cool-season color that tolerates part shade. See pansies and violas for fall containers.
• Japanese forest grass: a gold, flowing edge in part shade.
• Ivy or creeping jenny: a trailing edge over the rim.
• Small pumpkins and gourds: tuck them among the fronds. See pumpkins, gourds, and planted porch vignettes.

Winter care by zone

• Zones 3 to 4: Choose Christmas fern instead. Sink the pot into a bed or move it to an unheated garage once the mix starts to freeze.
• Zones 5 and 6: Autumn fern is hardy in the ground but a pot exposes the roots. Plant it into a shade bed by late October, or group pots against the house and wrap them. See overwintering potted perennials and shrubs in cold zones.
• Zones 7 to 9: Leave the pot outside all winter. Water during dry spells when the mix is not frozen.

Cut old, tattered fronds back to the base in late winter, just before the new copper fronds unroll in spring.

Pet and handling notes

Boston fern is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats by the ASPCA, but not every outdoor fern has been evaluated, and asparagus fern, which is not a true fern, is listed as toxic. Keep pots where pets will not chew them, and call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if a pet eats any plant you are unsure about. Wear gloves when you divide crowns or cut fronds; use clean, sharp snips, keep your free hand clear of the blades, and cut away from your body.

Bottom line

For a shady porch, plant autumn fern in September or October in a wide pot with a moist mix. It gives you copper fall color and evergreen texture where mums and kale will not thrive, and it moves into the garden when the pot is done.

Related reading

• Shade garden plants for Zone 6
• Deer-resistant shade perennials for Zone 7
• Plants toxic to cats (ASPCA reference)