Can I Grow Ferns on a Balcony?

Osmunda

• Some ferns from the Osmunda genus can grow successfully in containers on balconies. These ferns tolerate more sun than many species. The interrupted fern (O. claytoniana) even tolerates dry soil, though it grows best in rich, moist soil. Interrupted ferns grow up to 4 feet tall and have spreading, arching fronds. These deciduous ferns are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 to 8. The cinnamon fern (O. cinnamomea) also grows to 4 feet tall and produces a whorl of arching, brownish red fronds in late spring. They are hardy in zones 4 to 9 and prefer moist to wet soil. The royal fern (O. regallis) is hardy in zones 3 to 10 and has wide, bipinnate foliage. It tolerates sun to shade but needs consistently moist soil.

Polystichum

• Some ferns in the Polystichum genus can live in drier conditions than many other hardy ferns. The Christmas fern (P. acrostichoides) thrives in a range of conditions, from dry shade to full sun with moist soil. This evergreen grows from 1 to 3 feet tall and has upright, dark fronds. It is hardy in zones 3 to 9. Braum's holly fern (P. braunii) also tolerates dry soil. This semi-evergreen fern has dark, leathery foliage and grows to 28 inches tall. It is hardy in zones 3 to 8 and prefers cool temperatures.

Dryopteris

• Several species in the Dryopteris genus grow well in sunny, well-drained containers. The male fern (D. filix-mas) grows to 3 feet tall and is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. It has lustrous, evergreen fronds and comes in several cultivars. Male ferns grow well in sun or shade and moist, well-draining soil. The shaggy shield fern (D. erythrosora) grows well in full morning or late afternoon sun and moist, rich soil. It is hardy in zones 6 to 9 and grows from 18 to 24 inches tall. New fronds emerge bronze-to-pink, maturing to a lustrous, deep green. This evergreen has wide, bipinnate foliage..

Other Species

• Other container-friendly species include the hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctiloba), a deciduous plant with long, lance-shaped fronds that turn yellow in autumn. This 2 1/2-foot-tall fern prefers light shade to sun, tolerates drought and salt spray and is hardy in zones 3 to 7. The river fern (Thelpteris kunthii) also tolerates drought and thrives in sun to partial shade. Hardy in zones 7 to 10, this deciduous fern has bright, arching foliage and spreads quickly. River ferns grow from 2 to 4 feet tall.