Silver Lady Fern (Blechnum gibbum)
BLEK-num gibbum

Annual (usually grown as an annual near you) Upright, Arching in the Blechnaceae Family

A miniature tree fern with a short trunk and a graceful rosette of arching green fronds.

Blechnum gibbum, the Silver Lady fern (also called Dwarf Tree Fern), forms a short, upright trunk topped by a symmetrical rosette of arching, bright green fronds, giving it the look of a miniature tree fern. Native to rainforests of Fiji and the South Pacific, it thrives in warm, humid, shaded conditions and reaches about 3 to 4 feet tall.

Hardy outdoors year-round only in USDA zones 10-11, it is most often grown in containers as a houseplant or moved outdoors for the summer and brought back in before frost.

Pros

  • Striking architectural form for containers
  • Thrives in low-light, humid indoor spots
  • Easy care once watering rhythm is established
  • Non-flowering, no deadheading needed

Cons

  • Not frost tolerant; must winter indoors outside Zone 10-11
  • Damaged by direct sun
  • Needs consistent humidity and moisture
This plant is probably not winter-hardy outdoors where you live.
Why Like

In its native rainforest understory across Fiji and the South Pacific, this dwarf tree fern's short trunk and outspread rosette of fronds funnel rainfall and leaf litter down to its own root zone, the kind of shaded, moisture-trapping growth habit typical of forest-floor ferns that help stabilize soil and humidity beneath a forest canopy.

Highlights
  • Short trunk topped with a symmetrical rosette of fronds
  • Bright green, arching, finely divided foliage
  • Compact, architectural houseplant or shade container specimen
  • Easy-care, low-maintenance once established
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 3 - 4 feet tall. 24 - 36 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Full Shade - Partial Shade
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 10a - 11b (Usually hardy to 30° F)
Tags Annual, Container, Deer Resistant, Evergreen, For a Shady Spot, Full Shade, Good for Beginners, Good Indoor Plant, House Plants, Medium, Non-Allergenic, Partial Shade, Shade Tolerant, Tender Perennial, Tropical
Bloom Period Non-flowering
Flower Color Non-flowering
Foliage Color Green

Commonly Planted with...

Pairs well with other shade-loving houseplants like peace lily and pothos, or with other full-shade houseplants.

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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 02/05 - 05/17
2024 : 02/08 - 05/18

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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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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

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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.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!