Athyrium otophorum var. okanum - Eared Lady Fern

Athyrium otophorum var. okanum, also known as the Eared Lady Fern, is a rare Asian species, albeit small in size, it boasts foliage with exceptional, subtle and ever-changing shades throughout the season. Its young triangular fronds, are cream with hints of blue green and veined with purple.  They play with light and shadow, creating an illusion of very pale silver and gold, before taking on a soft, bluish-green, slightly greyish hue, sometimes with reddish reflections. Until summer, the juvenile fronds appear and coexist with mature leaves, giving the plant a bicolour appearance. This deciduous species is very hardy. It thrives in partial shade, in humus-rich and moist soil, and adapts well to pot cultivation.

Athyrium otophorum var. okanum is a lady fern native to Japan, China, and Korea, very similar to the Japanese Painted Fern Athyrium japonicum 'Pictum'. Like all so-called 'lady ferns', it belongs to the family of Athyriaceae. It forms a very harmonious, spreading clump, a little wider than tall, not exceeding 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20in) in height, with a fairly slow growth. In spring, creamy white croziers are covered with dark, glossy scales appear. They quickly unfurl and elongate, releasing young triangular fronds with delicate pastel shades. They grow and mature gracefully, becoming greener and slightly arching, supported by a structure of vibrant burgundy red petioles, rachis, and veins.  This fern is deciduous, but its foliage persists for quite a while, well after the first frost.

All ferns of the genus Athyrium completely lose their foliage in winter. That being said, they are very cold-resistant, and are very easy to grow in any moist soil rich in leaf compost. Athyrium otophorum var. okanum, with its small size, is very well suited for decorating a planter, a shaded rockery, or bordering a less sunny pathway. This truly beautiful fern deserves to be cultivated among a few well-chosen perennial plants, or in a pot near the house. In our garden, we have paired it with Brunnera macrophylla 'Dawson's White' and Gentiana asclepiadea on a fresh slope. It also makes a good companion for primroses, creeping bugles, Corydalis, bleeding hearts...