Athyrium ‘Ursula’s Red’

The Most Brilliantly Colored Yet.

Vibrant, iridescent foliage.

All Japanese Painted Ferns are vibrantly colored, but ‘Ursula’s Red’ can only be called iridescent, with its shimmering play of silver-white and rich maroon-red. Absolutely breathtaking in the shade garden among green-foliaged plants, it is so showy that you may just have to introduce it to the patio, border, and waterside plantings.

Long, finely cut, wonderfully elegant fronds unfurl in spring a gleaming white on top and rich wine-red underneath. As the season progresses, the red tones begin to influence the top of the leaves, and the white sizzles into silver. Creating a fabulous two-tone effect, ‘Ursula’s Red’ stands out brilliantly among other Ferns as well as with Hostas and other shade lovers.

This Japanese Painted Fern is the creation of South Carolina plantswoman Ursula Herz, who propagated it clonally for uniform, consistent performance. Both the color and texture of this hardy Fern are spectacular in a mass planting or as a single specimen. Reaching 18 to 20 inches tall and up to 2 feet wide, ‘Ursula’s Red’ thrives in either partial or full shade, asking only plenty of moisture and enriched soil to flourish for years.

Space plants about 15 inches apart in the shady garden. Resistant to heat and humidity and tolerant of just about any soil pH, ‘Ursula’s Red’ is hardy in zones 4-9.