When to plant and prune Japanese Painted Fern
Japanese Painted Fern is grown for foliage and form rather than flowers and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Japanese Painted Fern is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | Prune |
|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| South Coast and Channel | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| South East and Home Counties | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| East Anglia | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Wales and West Coast | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Northern England | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Northern Ireland | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late March to early May | early February to early March |
Growing notes
The silver-and-burgundy fronds need dappled shade and steady moisture; in dry shade or midday sun the colour bleaches and the fronds scorch. Excellent in a shaded pot where you can keep it watered.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 35 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 40 cm
- Eventual spread
- 40 cm
- Hardiness
- H5
- Sun
- Shade tolerant
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 10 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 4 out of 5
Pruning: what to avoid
Deciduous, so the old fronds all come off, but do it in late winter. Cutting in spring, once the pink-flushed croziers are moving, spoils the new fronds that give the plant its colour.
Pruning group
Cut the dead fronds away at the base in late winter, before the croziers unfurl
What usually goes wrong
- scorches in sun or dry soil
- slugs and snails on new fronds
- slow to bulk up compared with native ferns
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for japanese painted fern.