Fernbush (Chamaebatiaria millefolium) is an extremely attractive, densely branched, aromatic shrub. It gets its name from its foliage, which look like tiny ferns. It grows in a formal mound with minimal pruning and is covered in showy cream-white flowers from midsummer to fall. These flowers give way to attractive seedheads that eventually turn bronze. In milder climates, Fernbush can keep its leaves all winter. In colder climates, it will lose its leaves and reveal its reddish, cinnamon bark for winter and leaves will return in the spring. This low mainenance shrub is an excellent addition to sunny garden beds and borders, xeric gardens, dry rock gardens, or foundation plantings. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution.
Expected 2025 Availability- Late April
Fernbush
Irrigation Requirement: Very Low (Water to Establish) (plant may benefit from a few deep waterings if summer is dry to keep its foliage dense)
Mature Size: 4 - 6' tall and wide is common, can get up to 7 - 9' wide
Spacing: 3 - 6' apart
Bloom Colors: Cream/White
Bloom Season: August - September
Hardiness Zone: 4 - 10
Light Requirement: Full Sun
Deer Resistant: Yes
Salt Tolerant: Yes
Soils: Does best in well-drained soil, but can be tolerant of sand, loam, or clay soils.
Fernbush attracts a variety of pollinators with its flowers in late summer and early fall. It also provides nesting material for birds and cover for ground-dwelling birds. Some birds eat the seeds off the plant in the fall and winter.