Woodwardia

Woodwardia - Noble ferns, of which a few are hardy. All are handsome, with broad beautifully arching fronds, which are especially ornamental if seen a little above the level of the eye. Woodwardias thrive under the ordinary conditions of the hardy fernery, and succeed in a shady position if they have a light peaty soil that is moist in summer. The principal hardy kinds are W. areolata (angustifolia) and W. virginica, both from N. America; W. japonica and W. orientalis, from Japan; and W. radicans from Madeira. W. radicans is the tenderest, and requires a sheltered position, and perhaps protection in severe cold.