Pest battle with Sword Fern — and how I won

I had a serious problem with crown death from frost on tender varieties on my Sword Fern earlier this year. Caught it late and had to work hard to bring the plant back. The experience was frustrating but educational.

Now that it's healthy again I can fully appreciate exceptional ability to thrive in deep shade, which is remarkable. I've repositioned it in a shaded north-facing border under trees and improved my attention to removing dead fronds cleanly at the base in spring. full lush canopy through summer was the proof that the plant had fully recovered — genuinely beautiful. Moral of the story: inspect regularly and catch problems early.