Has anyone ever had any success growing a fern variety in partial to full sun? I'm looking for something that is native and also deer resistant.
Answer
Dear Leah,
You might conside some of these:
Licorice fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza), which grows in zones 9 through 11. This easy-going, sun-loving fern grows up to 1 foot tall and resembles a sword fern. This is a short fern. The North American Hay-scented Fern (Dennstaedtia punctiloba) is hardy in zones 4 through 9. This fast growing, 2- to 3-foot-tall fern needs partial sunlight and regularly watering to keep it healthy, but it can tolerate areas with deep shade. It is also deer resistant. Yellow meadow-rue (Thalictrum flavum subsp. glaucum) and its cheery, lemon-yellow blooms adds bright color to areas with full sun or partial shade. It grows in USDA zones 3 through 9 with bluish-green, lacy foliage in any soil type. The foliage and blooms of this easy-to-care for fern can be cut and used in floral arrangements. Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata) is an herb that produces delicate, fernlike foliage and clusters of white flowers that resemble an umbrella. This sun-loving herb is also grown as a perennial and has a sweet licorice scent with a strong flavor. It can grow in USDA zones 4 through 9 in any soil type or pH level.Here are some additional suggestions from a book entitled "Got Sun?" by Carolyn Harstad, which is available in the PHS McLean Llibrary: