Blechnum Silver Lady

Common Name:
Silver Lady Fern

Description:
Blechnum ‘Silver Lady’, also known as the Silver Lady Fern, is a compact, elegant tree fern admired for its finely divided, bright green fronds and tidy, upright rosette growth. A cultivated form of Blechnum gibbum, this fern is native to the South Pacific and thrives in warm, humid conditions, making it an excellent choice for sheltered outdoor gardens or indoor settings in Melbourne. Its lush, feathery foliage radiates from a central trunk that slowly develops with age, giving it a soft, palm-like appearance in maturity. Silver Lady prefers part to full shade, rich organic soil, and consistently moist conditions. It makes a wonderful feature in tropical-style plantings, ferneries, or large decorative pots, especially where its striking texture can contrast with bolder foliage. Growth is most active from spring through to autumn, and while it does not flower, its foliage delivers year-round interest with minimal maintenance. Regular watering and protection from frost are essential.

Form:
*Shrub - Clumping / Grass-like / Mounding
*Tree - Small (when mature and trunked)
*Indoor Foliage Plant

Mature Size:
*Height: 60–90 cm (can slowly reach up to 1.2 m with trunk over time)
*Width: 60–90 cm

Aspect:
*Part Shade
*Full Shade
*Indoors / Well lit

Flowering:
*Does not flower

Flower Colour:
*Not applicable

Key Attributes:
*Suitable for Pots
*Suitable for Indoor Use
*Perennial
*Herbaceous
*Low Maintenance
*Excellent for Tropical or Shaded Gardens
*Suitable for Ferneries and Underplanting
*Air Purifying
*Not frost tolerant

Toxicity:
*Non-toxic to pets and humans

Companion Plants:
*Asplenium australasicum (Bird’s Nest Fern)
*Davallia fejeensis (Rabbit’s Foot Fern)
*Clivia miniata
*Caladium
*Hymenolepis
*Impatiens (shade-tolerant varieties)