Should I Move My Autumn Fern?

Q: We recently removed a large oak. Now my autumn fern is in full sun all
day. Do I need to move it? 

A: Yes, I think you should move it. I’ve never seen autumn fern, Dryopteris
erythrosora, grow successfully in full sun. If you like ferns, I have a lot of
Southern shield fern, Thelpteris kunthii, in my landscape and it does fine in
sun or shade . Unfortunately it is deciduous so the fronds die back in winter
but it sprouts back faithfully every spring. Some gardeners, though, find that
it’s a bit “pushy” to smaller groundcovers.

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