Zone 4 · winter lows -30°F to -20°F
Dryopteris for Zone 4
34 Dryopteris varieties rated hardy through Zone 4, ranked by how many gardeners actually grow them. Zone 4 is short, intense seasons — plants here are the toughest in the catalog.
The Dryopteris that thrive in Zone 4
#1 most savedBroad Buckler-fern
Dryopteris dilatata 'Jimmy Dyce'
#2 most savedWestern Wood Fern The King Fern
Dryopteris affinis 'The King'
#3 most savedGoldie's Wood Fern
Dryopteris goldieana
Clinton's Wood Fern
Dryopteris x clintoniana
Log Fern
Dryopteris x separabilis
Tokyo Wood Fern
Dryopteris tokyoensis
Brilliance Autumn Fern
Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance'
Giant Wood Fern
Dryopteris dilatata 'Lepidota Cristata'
Marginal Wood Fern
Dryopteris marginalis
Broad Buckler Fern 'Grandiceps'
Dryopteris dilatata 'Grandiceps'
Jinfoshan Giant Wood Fern
Dryopteris bissetiana 'Jinfoshan Giant'
corymbed wood fern
Dryopteris corymbifera
Japanese Rosy Fern Hardy Fern
Dryopteris erythrosora 'Hardy Fern Collection'
Common Wood Fern
Dryopteris uniformis
Male Fern
Dryopteris filix-mas
Robust Male Fern
Dryopteris x complexa
Crested Male Fern
Dryopteris filix-mas 'Cristata Jackson'
Narrow Scaled Wood Fern
Dryopteris stenolepis
Wood Fern
Dryopteris fructuosa
Remote Wood Fern
Dryopteris x remota
Bisset's Wood Fern
Dryopteris namegatae
Parsley Male Fern
Dryopteris filix-mas 'Parsley'
Sublacera Fern
Dryopteris sublacera
Austral Woodfern
Dryopteris x australis
Showing the 24 most-saved of 34 Zone 4–hardy Dryopteris varieties. See the full Dryopteris list →
Dryopteris in Zone 4
Will Dryopteris survive a Zone 4 winter?
34 of the 73 Dryopteris varieties in the Sow catalog are rated hardy through Zone 4, where winter lows reach -30°F to -20°F. Hardiness is per-variety, not per-genus — the plants listed above are the ones that hold up; others in the genus are not rated for this zone.
When should I plant Dryopteris in Zone 4?
In Zone 4 the last spring frost typically lands around mid-May and the first fall frost around late September. Planting after the last frost — or in early fall, so roots establish before the ground cools — gives the best establishment. Each plant page lists its own planting months.
Which Dryopteris is best for Zone 4?
Start at the top of the list above: it is ranked by how many gardeners actually save and grow each variety, which is a strong real-world reliability signal. Then narrow by your sun exposure and the mature size that fits the bed.
Keep exploring
All Dryopteris
Dryopteris in other zones
See Dryopteris in your Zone 4 yard
Snap a photo of your space and Sow places these varieties in it at true mature size — then keeps the care schedule for everything you plant.
