'Godzilla' Japanese Painted Fern

'Godzilla' Japanese Painted Fern

Bold foliage. Effortless charm.
This lush, upright perennial brings instant sophistication to any space—thriving in sun, shade, or something in between. With deep green leaves and a naturally elegant form, it's made to shine in containers, borders, or cut arrangements. Low-maintenance and rabbit-resistant, it’s the kind of beauty that doesn’t ask for much, but gives everything.

Size

Price: $9.50 $18.99

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'Godzilla' Japanese Painted Fern

Size

Price: $9.50 $18.99

Features

Characteristics

Plant Needs

A dramatic take on the classic Japanese painted fern, ‘Godzilla’ was discovered at Plant Delights Nursery in the mid-1990s and is believed to be a natural cross between Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ and the Lady Fern.

This striking fern forms an impressive, arching mound of silvery fronds accented with green highlights and deep purple stems. Like its Lady Fern parent, ‘Godzilla’ thrives in rich, moist soils and will slowly spread where it is happiest.

Perfect as a low-maintenance filler, it pairs beautifully with bold shade companions such as large hostas and Aralia ‘Sun King’.

Characteristics

Plant Type:

Perennial

Height Category:

Medium

Garden Height:

20 - 22 Inches

Spacing:

28 - 30 Inches

Spread:

28 - 30 Inches

Foliage Colors:

Green

Foliage Shade:

Dark green

Habit:

Upright

Container Role:

Thriller

Resists:

Rabbits

Plant Needs

Light Requirement:

Part Shade to Shade

Maintenance Category:

Easy

Bloom Time:

Grown for Foliage

Hardiness Zones:

3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b

Water Category:

Average

Soil Fertility Requirement:

Average Soil Fertile Soil Poor Soil

Soil PH Category:

Acidic Soil Neutral Soil

Uses:

Border Plant, Container, Cut Flower

Maintenance Notes: 

Grow in moist soil in light to partial shade for best coloration. Leave old fronds on the plant until new fronds are 6 inches tall in spring.

A dramatic take on the classic Japanese painted fern, ‘Godzilla’ was discovered at Plant Delights Nursery in the mid-1990s and is believed to be a natural cross between Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ and the Lady Fern.

This striking fern forms an impressive, arching mound of silvery fronds accented with green highlights and deep purple stems. Like its Lady Fern parent, ‘Godzilla’ thrives in rich, moist soils and will slowly spread where it is happiest.

Perfect as a low-maintenance filler, it pairs beautifully with bold shade companions such as large hostas and Aralia ‘Sun King’.

Plant Type:

Perennial

Height Category:

Medium

Garden Height:

20 - 22 Inches

Spacing:

28 - 30 Inches

Spread:

28 - 30 Inches

Foliage Colors:

Green

Foliage Shade:

Dark green

Habit:

Upright

Container Role:

Thriller

Resists:

Rabbits

Light Requirement:

Part Shade to Shade

Maintenance Category:

Easy

Bloom Time:

Grown for Foliage

Hardiness Zones:

3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b

Water Category:

Average

Soil Fertility Requirement:

Average Soil Fertile Soil Poor Soil

Soil PH Category:

Acidic Soil Neutral Soil

Uses:

Border Plant, Container, Cut Flower

Maintenance Notes: 

Grow in moist soil in light to partial shade for best coloration. Leave old fronds on the plant until new fronds are 6 inches tall in spring.

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