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Southern wood fern

Dryopteris ludoviciana. Family Dryopteridaceae. Fern.

Also called Southern shield fern, Florida shield fern.

Southern wood fern is a clump-forming fern native to the southeastern United States, grown for its tall, glossy green fronds and upright shape. It brings structure to damp, shaded gardens and stays evergreen in mild climates, though cold winters can kill back its foliage.

Hardiness

USDA zones 6a to 9b

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Grows outdoors in the shaded zones. Select a zone to see what else grows there.

Southern wood fern
Photo: Leila Dasher
Southern wood fern
Photo: Leila Dasher
Southern wood fern
Photo: Leila Dasher

At a glance

Sun
Partial to full shade; protect from strong afternoon sun, especially in hot or dry gardens.
Water
Keep consistently moist, particularly during establishment. Established plants tolerate brief wet periods but should not be allowed to dry out repeatedly.
Soil
Humus-rich, moist to wet soil, preferably acidic to neutral. Tolerates clay if it remains aerated rather than stagnant.
Height
2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m)
Spread
2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)
Foliage
Upright to arching, glossy dark green fronds with finely divided lower sections. Evergreen in mild winters and semi-evergreen or deciduous near its cold limit.
Growth
Moderate
Care needed
Low

The year at a glance

  • Deer resistant
  • Heat tolerant
  • Wildlife
JFMAMJJASOND
Plant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty
Easy
Toughness
Fairly tough

Will it suit your garden?

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

Full sun is 6 or more hours of direct sun a day, part shade 3 to 6 hours, shade under 3.

How it grows

  1. Planting day

    1 ft (0.3 m)

  2. After 1 year

    1.6 ft (0.5 m)

  3. After 2 years

    2.3 ft (0.7 m)

  4. After 3 years

    3 ft (0.9 m)

    full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Good to know

Cats and dogs
Safe
Native to
the US
Growth rate
Moderate

Care

Jobs through the year

WaterMar–May, Sep–Oct, every 7 days
Check established plants and water deeply when the surface starts drying; new crowns need closer attention.
WaterJun–Aug, every 4 days
Check soil moisture and water if needed to prevent repeated drying; skip watering when soil remains moist.
PruneFeb–Mar
Remove dead or weathered fronds before new fiddleheads emerge, retaining healthy green fronds.
MulchApr–May
Top-dress with compost and maintain 5–8 cm of leaf mulch without covering the crown.
DivideMar–Apr
Divide established clumps only for propagation or size control, then water well.
ProtectJan–Feb, Nov–Dec
In exposed gardens, insulate the root area with loose leaves without burying the crown.
  • Water deeply whenever the surface soil starts to dry; do not let newly planted crowns dry out.
  • Work leaf mould or well-rotted compost into poor soil before planting, keeping the crown at soil level.
  • Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of leaf mulch, leaving the crown uncovered.
  • Top-dress with compost in spring; routine heavy feeding is unnecessary.
  • Divide established clumps in spring only when you want more plants or need to reduce their size.

Pruning. Remove dead or badly weathered fronds in late winter or early spring before new growth unfurls. Leave healthy green fronds in place and avoid cutting emerging fiddleheads.

Through the year

Late winter
Remove collapsed or frost-damaged fronds without cutting into the crown.
Spring
Plant or divide clumps as growth begins, then water thoroughly.
Late spring
Refresh leaf mulch and add a light compost top-dressing.
Summer
Check soil moisture during dry spells and water before fronds wilt or brown.
Autumn
Keep healthy fronds and allow a loose layer of fallen leaves to protect the root area.

In the garden

  • Plant in groups beneath deciduous trees where the soil stays moist, using the upright fronds to contrast with broad-leaved perennials.
  • Use along shaded pond margins, above the permanently submerged zone.
  • Repeat through woodland borders for a consistent dark green backdrop to spring flowers.
  • Place beside shaded paths or patios where the glossy, divided foliage can be seen closely.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Southern, Bog garden, Green on green, Japanese and Low-maintenance.

Plant it with: Hosta, Astilbe, Foamflower, Virginia bluebells, Japanese forest grass and Cardinal flower.

Wildlife: Dense clumps provide shelter for small ground-dwelling animals and invertebrates. Like other ferns, it produces spores rather than flowers, nectar or fruit.

Problems to watch for

  • Brown, scorched fronds: reduce direct sun and keep the root zone consistently moist.
  • Slugs and snails damaging emerging fronds: remove hiding places near the crown, hand-pick after dusk or use a labelled iron-phosphate bait.
  • Crown rot in stagnant soil: keep the crown at soil level and improve drainage where water stands for long periods.
  • Winter-browned foliage: leave the crown undisturbed and remove damaged fronds before spring growth; exposed sites may need additional leaf mulch.

Safety

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs or horses. Human toxicity is not well documented; do not eat the fronds, fiddleheads or rhizomes.

Easily confused with

  • Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)

    Christmas fern has leathery, once-divided fronds with a small thumb-like projection at the base of each leaflet. Southern wood fern has more finely divided lower leaflets and generally taller, more upright growth.

  • Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora)

    Autumn fern typically opens coppery or reddish new fronds and forms a shorter, broader clump. Southern wood fern opens green and develops taller, more upright fronds.

The name

The species name ludoviciana means 'of Louisiana', referring to the region associated with its original description.

Propagation. Divide mature clumps in spring, keeping several growing points and a good root system on each division. It can also be raised from spores, but this is slow and requires clean, consistently humid conditions.

Checked against open data

Accepted botanical name
Dryopteris ludoviciana
In the US and Canada
Native in the lower 48 states.
Native range
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.

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