Can I Leave Ferns Planted In My Flower Bed?
Nancy Asked
Can I leave ferns planted in my flower bed?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Nancy: The answer to your question really depends on the variety of ferns that you are growing. There are ferns that are hardy to zone 7, meaning that they can survive in the garden year-round, and then there are tropical ferns that are not tolerant of the winter temperature in zone 7. These ferns need to live indoors except for during the warmer months of the year. Do you know which ferns you have? If you still have the grower’s tag it will tell you the scientific name as well as the hardiness zones. Kimberly Queen and Macho ferns are the most common tropical ferns sold in garden centers. If they were large ferns, more than a couple of feet wide and possibly in a hanging basket, these are most likely tropical ferns. If you purchased them in a quart or gallon size container they are probably hardy ferns. There are many more hardy ferns than there are tropical ferns for gardeners in USDA hardiness zone 7. If you can send me a picture I can tell you if they are hardy or tropical. Send your pictures to angiemcmanus@hotmail.com. You could also take a sample of your ferns to your local garden center or to your county Cooperative Extension Office for identification. This way you will know for certain if you can leave them in the ground or if you need to dig them up and over-winter them indoors.
