ATHYRIUM nip. 'Metallicum'

Athyrium nip. ‘Metallicum’ is a deciduous Japanese painted fern prized for its arching, finely divided fronds with an attractive metallic-silver sheen touched with soft green and purple tones. Forming a compact, slowly spreading clump, it brings luminous contrast to shady borders, woodland plantings and underplanting around shrubs. Grow in partial to full shade in consistently moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil; avoid dry conditions and harsh midday sun. Remove old fronds in late winter to make way for fresh spring growth, and mulch annually to conserve moisture.

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Partial to full shade

Rate of Growth: Slowly spreading, clump-forming

Soil: Moist, humus-rich, well-drained; neutral to acidic; avoid dry soils

Hardiness: Fully hardy

Plant at a Glance