On a 2015 visit to Judith Jones’, Washington-based Fancy Fronds Nursery, we left with many ferns, including a very lacy plant with a tag of Arachniodes sp. Chile. Back in NC, the fern thrived in the garden, and as we studied the tag closer, it turned out to actually say Arachniodes sp. China. This turned out to have originated with the late Oregon rock gardener, and Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery founder, Boyd Kline. As we dug deeper, our staff was able to key it to the Chinese native, Arachniodes coniifolia.
This rarely cultivated fern is native to moist subalpine forests in China (Chongqing, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan), Nepal, and Bhutan at elevations from 3,000′ to 9,500′. When happy, in moist soils, it can produces 4′ long, arching fronds with very finely cut pinnae. The short, creeping rhizome forms a lovely, garden friendly patch as it slowly weaves its way through other plants in the woodland garden. Despite its cold climate origin, it has thrived for years in our hot, humid summers. If we had to guess on hardiness, we’d expect Zone 6a-8b. It’s our hope to have some to share before too long.
