Branford Rambler Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium × 'Branford Rambler')
ah-THEER-ee-um × 'Branford Rambler'

Deciduous Perennial Spreading, Clump-Forming in the Athyriaceae Family

Athyrium 'Branford Rambler' is a hybrid Lady Fern bred in the 1970s by Connecticut plantsman Nick Nickou, crossing Athyrium filix-femina with Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'. Unlike its pictum parent, it carries mostly green fronds with a subtle mahogany-bronze tinge rather than silver variegation. True to its name, it spreads steadily by stolons (runners) to form an expanding colony rather than a single tight clump, making it useful for filling in larger shaded areas over time.

Pros

  • Spreads by stolons to fill in shaded areas naturally over time
  • Subtle mahogany-bronze tinge to the green fronds
  • Deer resistant
  • Low maintenance once established

Cons

  • Spreading, stoloniferous habit can be too vigorous for a tightly bordered planting
  • Fronds die back completely at first hard frost
  • Needs consistently moist soil
Highlights

A hybrid Lady Fern valued for its spreading, colony-forming habit and subtly bronze-tinged green fronds -- a good choice for naturalizing a shaded woodland area rather than a single specimen accent.

 

Plant Data

Mature Size 18 - 24 inches tall. 18 - 24 inches wide.
Growth Rate Slow
Sun Exposure Full Shade - Partial Shade
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 3a - 8b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Colorful Foliage, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Filler, Full Shade, Good for Accents, Good for Borders, Good for Mass Planting, Grown For Attractive Foliage, Low Maintenance, Medium, Most Popular, Naturalizing, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant, Shade Tolerant, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period Non-flowering
Flower Color Non-Flowering
Foliage Color Green, Bronze
 

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Pricing and Availability History

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

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