Korean Rock Fern

Polystichum tsus-simense | Synonym: Polystichum luctuosum

Other Names: Tsu-sima Rock Fern

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 6a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Semi-Evergreen to Evergreen Perennial, depending on climate

Height at Maturity: 12-18″

Width at Maturity: 18″+
Spacing: 15-18″ for mass plantings

Growth Habit / Form: Arching Clump

Growth Rate: Moderate

Flower Color: None

Flower Size: NA

Flowering Period: NA

Flower Type: NA

Fragrant Flowers: NA

Foliage Color: Bright Green new fronds mature to Dark Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Berry Color: NA

Sun Needs: Full Shade or Part Shade, Morning Sun With Afternoon Shade

Water Needs: Average

Soil Type: Clay (amend heavy clay soil to ensure good drainage), Loam, Sand (amend quick draining soils for moisture retention), Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well-Drained to Wet

Soil pH: 6.5 – 7.5 (Slightly Acid to Slightly Alkaline)

Maintenance / Care: Low

Attracts: Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer, Disease, Heat, Humidity, Insect, Moist Soil, Rabbit, Shade, Wet Soil

Description

Excellent for garden beds, pots or as a year round houseplant, the Korean Rock Fern is a long-lived evergreen to semi-evergreen charmer adorned with black stems and delicately laced bright green fronds that mature to deep green. At only 15 to 18 inches tall and equally as wide forming an attractive, neat tuft, this low-growing fern is a perfect fit as an accent in shady smaller garden spaces or a low border or groundcover in garden beds or along paths and walkways. Winner of the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society, this refined beauty is an attractive asset in the shade garden.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 12 to 18 inches tall and equally as wide, the Korean Rock Fern is ideal for use in garden beds or indoor or outdoor containers. It is ideal for use as an accent in small garden spaces or in groupings or as a groundcover in garden beds or along paths and walkways. Excellent as a solo in small outs or as an accent combined with other shade-loving perennial plants. Also nice in shady home foundation plantings and around garden ponds. A fine addition to fern gardens, rock gardens, woodland gardens and Asian theme gardens.

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6a, where this fern variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Growing Preferences

The Korean Rock Fern is easy to grow in most any moist but well-drained soils of average fertility in part shade to full shade. It prefers a consistently moist to even wet soil rich in organic matter however will tolerate short dry periods when established.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find advice from our experts on how to plant, fertilize, prune and water perennial ferns.

How To Plant Perennial Ferns

How To Prune Or Cut Back Perennial fern Plants

How To Fertilize & Water Perennial Fern Plants

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