While many woodland ferns go dormant in fall, there are actually quite a few that remain evergreen through the winter months. One of our favorites is the compact Asian (China, Japan, Korea) native, Dryopteris uniformis ‘Cristata’, with each pinnae ending in a ruffled petticoat. Below is our 20″ tall x 2′ wide clump in early December. Hardiness is Zone 5a-8b. This is an incredibly easy to grow fern in a wide range of woodland conditions.
I love this fern! Unfortunately, the tree that provided much of its shade died. After it became apparent that the fern couldn’t handle full morning sun, I moved it midsummer. I am hopeful that it will survive this insult.