Hay-scented fern is a deciduous plant with lacy green fronds in the spring and summer. The fronds smell faintly like freshly mown hay when brushed, crushed, or bruised. In the fall, the fronds turn a soft golden yellow. A North American native, this fern is common in open woods and wooded banks in the eastern and midwestern United States. Because it spreads vigorously by rhizomes to form dense colonies even in poor conditions, it is not the best fern to grow in small spaces where it chokes out other plants. Hay-scented fern is rather suited for large woodland gardens where dense shade and dry soil make it hard for few other plants to thrive.
Gardeners who’ve had their native plantings decimated by deer will appreciate that hay-scented fern is deer-resistant.
Hay-Scented Fern Overview
Where to Plant Hay-Scented Fern
Plant the fern in a location with partial shade. The soil quality is secondary—hay-scented fern grows in a wide range of soils and pH from acidic to neutral. Good drainage, on the other hand, is key.
Hay-scented fern suits woodland areas, shade gardens, and cottage gardens. After two to three years, it fills a shaded area with low-maintenance foliage in nearly any type of soil. However, avoid planting it in a perennial shade garden that contains hosta, astilbe, and other shade-loving perennials because the fern will quickly choke out these less aggressive plants.
Because the fern forms dense colonies, it is also a good choice for erosion control. It is even used as a low-maintenance, ecologically friendly turfgrass replacement that can be installed as sod.
How and When to Plant Hay-Scented Fern
Plant hay-scented fern in the spring. Dig a hole as deep as the fern's rootball and twice as wide. Place it in the planting hole so that the crown (where roots and stem meet) is about half an inch below the soil surface. Backfill the hole with original soil or a combination of original soil and leaf mold. Water well after planting and continue to water during the first growing season if there is not sufficient rain to keep the soil consistently moist. Spread a 2-inch-thick layer of mulch around the plant base to prevent evaporation of soil moisture.
Space ferns 18 inches apart.
Hay-Scented Fern Care Tips
Once the fern is established, it is mostly maintenance-free.
Light
The fern prospers in full to partial shade. If the soil is consistently moist, it also grows in full sun, preferably morning sun.
Soil and Water
Ideally, the soil should be consistently moist, slightly acidic, and rich in organic matter. Hays-scented fern also adapts to less favorable conditions; it tolerates poor, rocky soil and dry soil once established. The same applies to the pH level—anywhere between 4.5 and 6.8 is acceptable.
Temperature and Humidity
This is a tough, hardy plant that survives hot summers as well as subzero winters and is tolerant of moderate humidity. However, freeze-and-thaw circles during the winter may cause frost heave, which exposes the roots to the winter cold, especially if you have cut back the dead foliage in the fall. As a precaution, it’s a good idea to insulate the plants with a 2-inch layer of mulch over the winter.
Fertilizer
If you have planted the fern in rich soil whose nutrients get automatically replenished by leaf mold, there is no need to fertilize. Hay-scented fern growing in poor soil benefits from a springtime application of slow-release all-purpose garden fertilizer.
Pruning
Pruning is optional. For a neater appearance, cut back the fronds to ground level at the end of the growing season or in early spring. If you leave the foliage, the new growth in the spring will push right through the dead foliage.
Potting and Repotting Hay-Scented Fern
Gardeners plant hay-scented ferns for their vigorous growth—a characteristic that makes them ill-suited for container growing.
Pests and Problems
The fern is not affected by any serious pests or diseases. Slugs and snails that start feeding on the plants in late spring can be repelled by scattering diatomaceous earth around the base of the plants.
How to Propagate Hay-Scented Fern
It is easy to propagate hay-scented fern from an established colony. This is best done in the spring, just as the new growing season has started. Use a sharp spade to remove sections of rhizome and replant them at the same depth as the original plant. Keep the plants well-watered during the first growing season. In the first year, the fern puts its energy into developing a strong root system so you might not see the same lush growth as with an established fern. The fern will grow to its full size in the second year.
Hay-Scented Fern Companion Plants
Because it is such an aggressive grower, hay-scented fern should only be planted around established trees or shrubs that provide the fern with the required shade.
American Hornbeam
American hornbeam is a native tree with multi-season interest. In the spring, the leaves are a striking reddish-purple, turning dark green in summer, and coming ablaze with shades of yellow and orange-red in the fall. It is a slow-growing tree that eventually gets 20 to 35 feet tall. Zone 3-9
Hawthorn
This showy, small tree breaks into clouds of white flowers in spring, followed by vivid fall color, and long-lasting red winter fruits. Hawthorns prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Because of its thorns, it is best planted in areas away from walkways or where children play. Zone 3-7
Tulip Tree
The tulip tree is one of the largest native trees in North America, and it’s a fast grower. Its wood is weak and prone to breakage in strong winds but its tulip-shaped flowers in the late spring are uniquely beautiful. Tulip trees make good overstory trees for native shrubs that thrive in partial shade. Zone 4-9
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is hay-scented fern invasive?The fern grows aggressively and has the potential to choke out other plants. But because hay-scented fern is a native plant, it does not fall under the same definition of invasiveness as plants that were introduced to North America from other continents.
The fern grows aggressively and has the potential to choke out other plants. But because hay-scented fern is a native plant, it does not fall under the same definition of invasiveness as plants that were introduced to North America from other continents.
- What is the difference between hay-scented fern and New York fern?The main difference between the two ferns is that the hay-scented fern has the scent of freshly cut hay, which the New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis) lacks. The fronds also differ. Hay-scented fern has triangular fronds which are widest at the base whereas the fronds of the New York fern are widest in the middle and tapered at the bottom.
The main difference between the two ferns is that the hay-scented fern has the scent of freshly cut hay, which the New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis) lacks. The fronds also differ. Hay-scented fern has triangular fronds which are widest at the base whereas the fronds of the New York fern are widest in the middle and tapered at the bottom.
- Do hay-scented ferns spread?This fern spreads vigorously, which is why it is not the best fern to grow in a small residential landscape, especially one with established perennials that might be outcompeted by the rapid growth of the fern.
This fern spreads vigorously, which is why it is not the best fern to grow in a small residential landscape, especially one with established perennials that might be outcompeted by the rapid growth of the fern.